Children have the seemingly endless capacity to ask questions that begin with why. Actually, this is a good thing!
Why?
Because anytime a why question is asked you already know that God has something to do with the answer. Asking why means that you will have many opportunities to tell your children about the wonders of God.
For example, your child may ask, “Why do leaves change color in the fall?”
Even giving a technical answer can lead to good things. You can explain as the green chlorophyll is reduced in the leaves by the coming of cooler weather, the underlying color of the leaves is then on display. In other cases the brown leaves may simply be waste that is left as the leaves get ready to fall.
“Why does it get cooler in the fall?”
You can answer that the seasons happen because the earth is tilted 23.5 degrees on its axis. This tilt, relative to the earth’s orbit around the sun, is at the perfect angle that causes four seasons each year. So, when your half of the planet begins to point away from the sun, the season we call Fall, temperatures become cooler.
These are the technical reasons why leaves change color. But, God is always at the core of each answer. God is the One who hung the earth in space at just the precise angle needed for seasons to occur. With regard to the seasons changing, Genesis 8:22 promises that God will continue to bring seasonal changes at just the right time as long as the earth endures. Eagerly answering questions about why leaves change color has the capacity to promote a relational climate where your children feel comfortable asking you questions. This is a climate that you want to encourage. Eagerly answering why questions can lead to questions of the heart, the really important questions.
Questions like these:
Why are boys and girls attracted to each other?
Why is it that my friends often try to hurt each other by what they say?
Why is it hard to obey God?
These are the questions that you want to hear, that you watch for as a parent. The Bible provides answers for these questions. Faithfully answering everyday why questions in a way that honors God can lead to children who realize that God is the one who has all of the answers to the issues of life.
Questions are a good thing!