Why and How to Share Tough Bible Stories with Kids

The Bible is full of stories that encourage us, show us how much God loves us, and leave us feeling inspired. However, it is also full of stories that depict violence, speak of curses, and leave us struggling to remember that God is good and just. I find it a little difficult to share these latter stories with my kids! In the past, I often hesitated before reading them stories like that of Cain killing Abel, Abraham taking Isaac to the mountaintop to sacrifice him, and Jesus’ gruesome death on the cross.

What should we do about these difficult stories? Should we share them just as they are in Scripture? Should we share simplified versions that omit the gory details? Should we skip them and focus solely on the feel-good stories that will leave our kids feeling warm and fuzzy?

I’ve come to the conclusion that we shouldn’t skip them. We absolutely should share them with our kids. Why is this? I’ll explain below and I’ll share how we can do this.

Why we should share tough Bible stories with our kids

Tough stories reflect our present reality

Though we often try to shelter our children from the harsh aspects of life, it doesn’t take long for them to begin hearing about mass shootings, rape, terrorism, racial tension, etc. They understand that our world is a scary and confusing place.

When we share tough Bible stories with our kids, they’re able to see that the Bible addresses the same issues we face today. This ancient book gains new relevance in their eyes! It becomes a lens through which they can examine the challenging situations around us.

Sharing tough stories shows that we believe all Scripture is valid

If we skip over the challenging stories and only share the touchy-feely ones, then our kids will begin to wonder if only part of Scripture is valid. They will begin thinking that we can pick and choose which stories and which principles we believe. We can try to ignore the difficult stories, but they are still there. Consequently, sheltering our children from these stories may hinder their growth as followers of Jesus.

Tough Bible stories show us the severity of our sin and the way of salvation

The single most important story in the Bible—that of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus—is gruesome and discomfiting. However, we wouldn’t have salvation without this story. How can we omit it when teaching our children?

Other violent accounts in the Bible are also important (Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, Achan’s sin in Joshua 7, David murdering Uriah in 2 Samuel 11, etc.). They show us the severity and consequences of our sin. The gospel, which hinges on Christ’s death and resurrection, glows much brighter when contrasted with sin’s darkness.

How to share tough Bible stories with kids

• Share accurate, but simplified versions. We can read to our kids straight from the Bible and they will pick up what they are able to based on their development. We can also read to them from storybook Bibles. Whichever approach we use, it can be helpful to rehash or perhaps even paraphrase tough stories so we give them factual, but simplified accounts using age-appropriate language and details. For example, when sharing the story of David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11, we don’t need to emphasize certain aspects (David committing adultery, David murdering Bathsheba’s husband, David and Bathsheba’s child being stricken with disease and dying, etc.). Instead, we can emphasize that David was a powerful king who used his power in a bad way (depending on their ability to understand, we can delve into the details of David seeing a married woman/committing adultery and having her husband killed). Using his power in a bad way was the wrong thing to do, so God wasn’t happy with David. When a prophet confronted David about his sin (depending on their ability to understand, we can delve into the details of Nathan confronting David and the baby getting sick and dying), he realized he had done wrong and he asked God to forgive him. God forgave him! This simplified version is easier for young kids to understand, but it still communicates the key messages of the story.
• Become comfortable with the stories. One of the reasons it is so difficult for us to share these stories with our kids is because we are not completely comfortable with them. Taken out of context, many Bible stories make God seem capricious and it’s hard to reconcile the events of these stories with the reality that God is the personification of love. When we feel uncomfortable with a story, we need to view it as an invitation to dig deeper. We can ask ourselves questions like these to increase our understanding:
  • What was the context of the story?
  • What were the people experiencing the story facing?
  • How can I see our loving God at work in the story?
  • What can I learn from the story?
• Discuss what we can learn from the stories. I believe the final bullet point above is a critical one when teaching our kids these difficult stories. If our kids don’t understand how difficult stories apply to our lives, then these seemingly sensational stories are no more significant to them than the most recent animated Disney movie. However, if we talk about what we can learn from these stories, then our kids will learn critical truths: God doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8), God disciplines us as a parent disciplines a child (Hebrews 12:4-11), Jesus’ death was necessary for our salvation (Hebrews 9:15-22), God forgives us when we repent of our sin (1 John 1:9), etc.

I’m not an expert in child development or children’s ministry, so I can’t say that this is the single best approach to sharing these stories with your kids. However, it is what’s working for us!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic. Do you share tough Bible stories with your kids? How do you go about doing this?

Shared at the following:

Grace and Truth, Tuesdays with a Twist, Encouraging Hearts and Home, and Modest Monday.