Three ways to teach your children a biblical worldview using the war in Ukraine

Kate Stevens • February 25, 2022

We are not born with a Biblical worldview. We are born with a sinful view. 


Example: If one child is given 4 toys and the other is given 6 toys, the former child will self-righteously declare, “That’s not fair! We didn’t get the same amount!” In this, he is completely blind to and ignoring the 4 toys he did receive. 


Sadly, this is not immune to the adult population. We can quickly look to the right and the left and take stock on what we haven’t been “blessed with.” We can survey our workload and a lack of grand possessions and draw the same conclusion of “unfairness.” 


On a carnal level these are perfectly rational, and even the worst math students take no issue with these word problems. But for the Christian this is deeply paradoxical, for the Lord teaches nowhere in Scripture about amassing wealth for ourselves alone. He teaches gratitude, contentment, humility, and self control. 


Shape their lenses

It follows, then, that we must develop a Biblical worldview for our children and maintain our own. A worldview has been likened to a pair of glasses. If we’re born with a view that is self-centered and bent toward our own comfort and (limited) logic and understanding, then we will all need work to put on lenses that love the things of the Lord and view His glory as supreme. 


I wrote a previous post titled, “The higher the walls, the taller the ladders: How to teach a Biblical worldview to your elementary-aged kids” which handles the fact that no matter what height of sky-scraping walls we construct around our children in order to insulate them from the evil in the world, someone will always build an even taller ladder in order to get over. 


One way we can shape their Biblical lens and equip them rather than attempt to (vainly) hide scary things is to expose them to current events—like this war in Ukraine. 


If you have kids with social media, they have already seen a barrage of opinions and details that need shaping and filtering, maybe even some undoing. If your kids are younger, like mine, then you will start at the ground and work your way up. 


Three ways to shape their worldview today


  1. Start with Truth
  • Remind them and yourself again and again that God’s Word is true. When it doesn’t make sense it is because of our limited knowledge and understanding, not because God is conflicting in nature. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9 ESV). 
  • Teach them that God is sovereign. He either ordains or allows, but He never misses. Kids will ultimately ask “why did God ______?” I still ask that, so I don’t question why my daughters do. Teaching them that God is always in control, even when we don’t feel like He is, is truly powerful worldview shaping. We tell our emotions to obey the Lord—we don’t obey our emotions. 
  • The 4th question of the New City Catechism is “How and why did God create us?” The answer: “God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.” We should return to this all the time. This is our chief end—glorifying God. We should let our children ask all the questions, but we should likewise always end with a plan of how we will glorify God in all our situations. 


  2. Provide the facts

  • Our girls are 10, 8, and 5, so we kept the facts of Russia and Ukraine very simple. First of all, we were all gathered around the table eating together. Hard conversations are a bit sweeter when there is good food and a stable and familiar environment. My husband used the analogy of a school bully to illustrate President Putin (of which, they couldn’t stop laughing at his name). Since our daughters started school we often tell them to have eyes for the lonely, be kind, be courageous, be selfless, and to remember Who they belong to. Well—Russia has done the opposite of all those things, and now they are picking on someone of much lesser power. 


One of our girls asked, “So this is like when a robber comes in to steal your stuff?” She’s always been scared of the idea of a robber, so this conversation allowed us to speak to God being sovereign in our home as well. I followed up with what the Bible says about anxiety, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7).


  • This is the result of sin. Anytime we follow sin rather than the Lord, destruction will happen. President Putin’s sin of pride and selfishness and greed is catastrophic in our eyes. But the Lord hates all our sin, and so should we. If we are not turning to the Lord, seeking to glorify Him above all, then we are living in pride. We can show our kids all the men and women in the Bible who trusted in themselves rather than the Lord and they fell because of it (just throw a dart at 1 & 2 Kings and you will surely hit several). Our Bibles warn on repeat to stay low, humble, meek. “Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 31:23–24).


 3. Chase everything with prayer

So now we pray for Ukraine. We pray for Russia. We pray for the whole world and the days ahead. At meals, before bedtime—this is a part of mine and Clint’s prayers, so it becomes a part of their prayers. This develops the part of their Biblical worldview where they are not so focused on themselves but consider others and their suffering. 


One of our girls asked yesterday, “are there little kids in Ukraine?” Oof—that one brought me to tears very quickly. “Yes, there are many children there. We must pray for them as well.” But we aren’t just praying for delivery. We’re praying that the Lord strengthens them for this battle, this affliction. We’re praying that the people of Russia and Ukraine and everyone watching it all unfold would glorify God because of this, for this is the purpose of man. 


Every nation will bow

Ultimately we can point to the fact that every proud man and woman will be brought low. God is storing up wrath for the coming judgment. And all nations will bow before the King in humility.


We must orient ourselves in repentance and humility in our own ordinary walk, lead others to do the same, and pray for justice. 


“May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!” (Psalm 72:11–14, 18–19).


This article was originally published on Crosspoint staff member Kate Stevens' blog, Hem-ology. Follow along there!

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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