Ask your child a simple question and then offer a simple truth about his online gaming experience.
“Have you played any video games with Bible stories or characters in them?” With this question, you may just broaden his mental vista to see that the games he plays do relate to real life. They relate either through foundational aspects supported by the Bible or they contain viewpoints antithetical to it. Games reflect a microcosm of life. He will begin to see how games espouse, deny or denigrate God-honoring concepts and themes. You want him to be able to stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around his waist.
FINE-TUNE THE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR CHILD
You may want to tweak that question depending on your child’s age and Bible experience, such as:
- “Do you notice that some characters or players seem more inclined to sin or do bad things and that others are more inclined to try to do the right thing?” This can start a conversation about sin or temptation.
- “Have you seen any characters like King David or Samson in your favorite video game?” This can initiate a dialogue about qualities of biblical leadership. Or about how God has a purpose and plan for our lives.
- “Do some battles seem to have a purpose while some are just for destructive ends?” This question can lead to exploring the biblical ethics of war (there are many books on this topic).
The universe of Christian games is relatively thin. Many fail to appeal to a broad audience. Maybe the game’s goal is difficult to communicate or it lacks technical complexity. Instead, big money is spent on a multitude of games seemingly designed to distract or corrupt our kids. However, that doesn’t mean a greater understanding of Christianity can’t be found within gaming—gaming itself contains a rich source of ideas to compare against biblical Christianity.
WHEN YOUR SIMPLE QUESTION ELICITS A “YES”
If your child does recognize that some games offer more Bible-appropriate values or characters than others, this is your chance to ask about them.
“How do you know the characters are behaving biblically?” If he responds that he notices when a character or player takes revenge, for example, he may believe the revenge is ‘justice’ and call it biblical. This gives you a teaching moment. Because it is God who avenges His people; He reserves this right for Himself.
Learn about games from the perspective of those your child plays. At the same time, you will be learning about the scope of his Bible knowledge and his developing personal ethics.
WHEN YOUR SIMPLE QUESTION ELICITS A “NO”
There’s a good chance your child won’t recall Bible storylines or characters in the games he plays. As mentioned, the Christian world doesn’t create as many games as the secular world. That doesn’t mean your conversation ends.
Your answer then can be simply, “That’s probably not surprising, right? After all, the world is fallen. Many people don’t know God well. And people tend to make games about what they know.”
At this point, you can take the dialogue in various directions:
- “Do any of the friends you play with believe in God and try to play nice because of that?”
- “Which game seems to portray the world in the worst possible light?”
- “Which games give you a chance to right the wrongs of other players?”
- “Do you notice if the games make it more fun to do wrong or to do right? Do they reward you for being bad or for being good?”
The ensuing conversation can be as simple or as complex as you are comfortable with. And as simple or complex as your child can manage. You want to create an warm, open environment to hear his thoughts, learn about his online experiences, answer questions, share biblical truths, and point him in a better direction, if necessary. Concepts you introduce can be developed over time—no immediate issue needs to be highlighted and resolved (unless you learn of a particularly harmful experience, such as bullying). Your goal is to listen, to learn, to share your biblical wisdom, and to gently train up your child in the way God would want him to go.
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW
And remember, these conversations are possible even if you yourself have limited Bible knowledge. Take one step at a time; learn a little more each day. Maybe this afternoon you hear with an open mind what your child has to say. Then tonight you do 20 minutes of research to gain relevant biblical understanding relating to his comments. Finally, you return to the conversation tomorrow with wisdom to share. Ultimately, you want to help him learn to demolish arguments that set themselves up against the knowledge of God.
“Have you played any video games with Bible stories or characters in them?” With this simple question, you will encourage your child to think about how and whether their games support or deny spiritual truths. They can begin to understand what it means for something to be biblical. And whether biblical values are being espoused or mocked. Then, as you develop the conversation over time—during meals, in the car, after church—you will better lead them toward biblical truth.
Consider reading this next post.
Add a biblical insight to conversations with your child as they share their online experiences.