What to tell your children about Charleston

There are troubled hearts in Charleston, South Carolina, not to mention the troubled hearts all across the country. Once again, what appeared to be safe, was not. The time of the Fall can only disguise it’s ugliness for a season. The enemy of our souls is engaged in non-stop attempts to make us think that this world is good and has all that we really need. Then this myth is shattered by an event like Charleston. Not even churches are safe. This reminds us that the world is not all it is promised to be.
However, Satan’s deception does not end when tragic events occur. He is also a master of offering solutions based on human philosophy and traditions. He wants us to believe we are good enough to solve our own problems. So man offers his own fixes and then fights about which one is best. However, the one great truth about the these horrific events is always ignored on the national stage.

The problem is sin.  Man’s answers are no answers at all. They only result in stumbling around in the darkness, with no clue of what is best.The real answer, the one that the enemy does not want proclaimed, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel provides hope for now and hope for the future.

The truth is every human heart is born wicked. Only a new heart offers hope. While earth remains, evil will remain. The gospel alone can provide comfort and hope in this world of sin. But the gospel also points to a new heavens and a new earth, when every tear will be wiped away.

Don’t hide this truth from your children. They need hope just as much as you do. You cannot promise that there will be no more tragedies like Charleston. But you can offer the promise of the gospel which alone offers hope, comfort, and peace.

Help your children to see that sin is serious and deadly. Being angry at a sibling is not something to pass off lightly. Unchecked, these sins can lead to awful consequences. Tell your children about Jesus. Tell them about how he heals wicked hearts. Tell them he is the hope of our country. Pray with your kids for the hurt that folks in Charleston are experiencing. Pray with them about their need for Christ to reign in their hearts. Only Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Solomon got it right. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness. But the path of the righteous is hope shinning like the first gleam of dawn. There is hope for your community and your family!

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19

Shepherd Press