What Do We Say To Our Kids?

It’s the month of June, a time of year when our culture asks everyone to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. This creates an awkward situation for Christians. We want to be loving and accepting of people who think differently, but our conscience will not allow us to celebrate something that the scriptures say is a sin.

Here’s how I deal with it.

When the gay marriage case was passing through the courts I was traveling quite a bit. When I met new people on the airplane and they found out I was a pastor they would ask me, “What do you think about gay marriage?”

My response was, “That’s the wrong question. The right question is what do you believe about Jesus Christ?”

The New Testament was written to Christians. If you are a Christian, then gay marriage is not a choice, it’s not even a question. If you are not a Christian then these scriptures do not apply to you.

If you think that this conversation is awkward for you, think about how challenging the month of June is for our kids. As parents, how can we help our kids navigate the confusion of the culture?

Here is what I say to kids.

The scripture says that “God is the potter, and we are the clay. God is the one who created us. We don’t get to tell God who we are.”

In recent times some educators and psychiatrists have separated biological sex from gender. You may hear, “You are biologically a boy, but in your mind, you may think like a girl, so your gender is female.”

Some people say your gender is whatever you think it is in your mind, but the Bible does not say this.

I am created in God’s Image. I don’t get to tell God I want to be something else. I am created precisely the way God wants me to be.

• If I look like a girl, I am a girl, which is amazing!
• If I look like a boy, I am a boy, which is awesome!

We cannot stay silent and let the culture tell our kids how to think. I encourage you to have regular conversations with your kids about this subject and keep the conversation about your family. You could say things like, “I know that other families think differently, but our family is Christian. We choose to live our lives by the scriptures.”

Throughout the month of June, I will be sending out a new post, every Monday, to help parents have these discussions with their kids.

Also, I have written a curriculum entitled “Who Am I?” It’s a four-week curriculum teaching Christian kids how to navigate gender identity.

Click here for more info.