What Are They Absorbing? - Parenting to Impress

A couple of weekends ago, I had a rare moment of quiet before church began. But it didn’t last long. A 4th grade boy—who I know by face but have never really talked with—walked up and asked if he could show me a drawing he was working on. Without waiting for my answer, he flipped the paper upside down and dove into the backstory of his caricature drawing. For the next 10 minutes, I listened to multi-syllable names, superhero science lingo, and intricate details that only a young boy could rattle off with such passion.

As he talked, my mind drifted to the Bible—full of big names, powerful stories, and the rich, complex truths of God’s Word. Then I remembered an email that I received years ago from Stacey, an ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum user.

Never Too Young

She shared:

“While listening to my almost 2-year-old daughter recite lines from her favorite show, Dora, I became convicted. She could quote the show, but I had never heard her sing “Jesus Loves Me.” I thought of great men like Daniel and Moses. Their knowledge of God came from a foundation laid by their parents.”

That stopped me in my tracks.

If a child can remember TV plotlines and quote fictional characters, they can learn the truths of the Bible. If they can speak made-up science with confidence, they can recite Bible verses. If they can follow complex media stories, they can begin to understand the beautiful mystery of God’s Kingdom. Children are never too young to hear the Bible. They are sponges.

A little girl walking on a path while holding mom's hands.

Time to Impress

But who’s responsible for what they absorb?

Stacey said it perfectly—knowledge of God comes from a foundation laid by parents. And this echoes Deuteronomy 6:7:

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

So, friends, when you’re tempted to skip the memory verse in the ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum or family Bible time some evenings – remember this: we get to choose what fills the young child’s mind. Will it be the latest media trend or the character of God?

They’re listening. Let’s be intentional with what they hear.