Families Are God’s Idea, Beginning in Genesis

Teach the Children Well!

Families are close to God’s heart. In fact, they were His idea in the first place. From the beginning, when God created man, He said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” so He created woman as a “help-meet, suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). Then, He blessed them and told them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [fill] the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Even after they fell into sin, God continued with His plan for families, and even spoke prophetically of the salvation that would come through the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).

Later, after the Flood, He reiterated His plan to Noah and his sons, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1). God continued His plan when He chose Abraham and miraculously gave him a son in his old age (Genesis 21). And so it goes, all the way down to the “fullness of time, when He sent forth His Son” (Galatians 4:4) to be born in human flesh, to live and to die for the people He Himself had created.

Throughout the ages, God’s plan and desire has always been for parents to raise up their children to know and love Him and walk in His ways. In Deuteronomy 6:6, God told the Israelites to keep His commands in their hearts and to teach them diligently unto their children, talking of them throughout the day in every circumstance of life.

Many families today are in deep trouble because they have not been “diligently teaching” their children. Instead, they have left it to the schools, media, museums, national parks, and others to do the job. We’ve often heard, “I’m not going to shove the Bible down my kids’ throats. When they are old enough, they can decide for themselves.” The problem is, these parents forget that while they are not teaching their kids the Bible, the world is shoving its evolutionary, humanistic, atheistic, or New Age religion down their throats.

Many families today are in deep trouble because they have not been “diligently teaching” their children.

It might sound nice to raise kids “neutrally,” but it’s impossible to do. While these parents may think they are doing the best for their children, and that their children will be able to objectively look at all their options and choose for themselves when they are older, they are leaving them defenseless against the anti-God teaching of our modern-day society. No parent would just let kids “discover for themselves” the dangers of running into a busy street. They would teach, warn, and even discipline their children in order to protect them. In like manner, we need to prepare them to face the challenges of the day by teaching the truth and exposing the lies of a society that has turned its back on God.

Children especially need to be grounded in the foundational doctrine of creation and prepared to withstand the evolutionary indoctrination which is so pervasive in our society. Fortunately, parents today have many excellent resources upon which to draw as they teach their children, exposing the lies of evolution and presenting the truth of creation from both the Bible and science. High-quality books, videos, and curriculum for all ages are available to help parents educate themselves and their children.

In addition, God has raised up many qualified and gifted speakers to teach creation seminars and other programs for kids and adults. Other opportunities include creation camps, tours, museums, conferences, media broadcasts, publications, and websites. We praise God for the wealth of information and the numerous opportunities He has provided.

So we encourage you: teach your children. Prepare them to withstand evolutionary, humanistic indoctrination by giving them sound biblical and scientific teaching that demonstrates the truth of God’s Word. Pray with them and build relationships with others who can provide a godly example. Teach them to know and love Him, to honor His Word and walk in His ways.

But what if your kids are grown or you don’t have children of your own? God still has a purpose and plan for you as part of His family, through faith in Christ Jesus. You can fulfill His plan “to be fruitful and multiply” as you give yourself to His Kingdom work by being a spiritual mother, father, sister, or brother in the Lord. So take the challenge. “Borrow some kids,” and become a blessing to someone today.

Dave and Mary Jo Nutting

This article is modified from an article which originally appeared in Think & Believe 22, no. 4 (July/August 2005), a publication of Alpha Omega Institute (AOI). AOI encourages people of all ages to grow in their relationship with God as they discover creation and walk confidently in the truth of God’s Word.

AOI provides Discover Creation seminars, camps, children’s ministry, creation curriculum, and training. For more information contact: Alpha Omega Institute, P.O. Box 4343, Grand Junction, CO, 81502, or visit www.DiscoverCreation.org. Dave and Mary Jo Nutting are founders and directors of AOI.