You Can't Give What You Don't Possess: Building a Biblical Worldview for Your Family
- Travis Maxey
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
In a culture where only 2% of American parents have a biblical worldview—and even among born-again Christians, only 8%—we face a crisis in passing down faith to the next generation. The sobering truth is simple: you can't give away what you don't possess.
What Does It Mean to Have a Biblical Worldview?
A biblical worldview isn't just what you believe—it's how you behave because of what you believe. Research shows that most Christian parents today have a syncretistic worldview, mixing biblical ideas with Marxism, Eastern mysticism, secular environmentalism, and everything in between. This creates a poisonous brew rather than nutritious spiritual food for our children.
Children form their worldview between 15-18 months of age, and by age 13, it's almost completely in place. They're watching their parents and listening to them, trying to reconcile what they see with what they hear. When there's a contradiction, children conclude that their parents seem as confused as they are, leading them to believe this faith doesn't have all the answers.
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What Does Scripture Say About Passing Down Faith?
In Deuteronomy 6, we find God's blueprint for generational faithfulness. After the Israelites witnessed God's awesome power on Mount Sinai, they recognized their need to fear Him completely. God's response reveals His heart: "Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever" (Deuteronomy 5:29 NLT).
The Foundation: Complete Devotion to God
The famous Shema begins with a call to total commitment: "Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NLT).
This isn't partial devotion or Sunday-only faith. It's loving God with every fiber of your being—when you feel like it and when you don't, in good times and difficult seasons. The fear of the Lord and love of the Lord work together like two rails of a train track, appearing separate up close but converging into one path when viewed from a distance.
The Method: Intentional, Constant Teaching
"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT).
God's plan isn't to outsource spiritual education to churches, schools, or youth pastors. The responsibility lies squarely with parents to create a home culture so Christ-centered that sin has no dwelling place there.
Why Do Children Leave the Faith?
The pattern is clear throughout Israel's history: when one generation fails to diligently teach their children, it only takes three generations before they're serving false gods and living like pagans. This happens because parents may love God themselves but neglect the crucial task of passing that devotion to their children.
Children are influenced by four major forces: public schools, media, arts and entertainment, and the laws of the land. If biblical truth isn't dominant in the home, these other influences will shape their worldview instead.
How Can Parents Build a Biblical Foundation?
Start with Your Own Heart
Before you can teach your children to fear and love God, you must possess that vibrant, totally committed, absolutely surrendered relationship with Jesus Christ yourself. More is caught than taught—your children will glean from you exactly how they'll live in the future.
Remove Worldly Influences
Creating a godly home means intentionally removing anything that contradicts biblical truth. This requires moving the line further and further away from worldly standards, not trying to see how close you can get to the world without crossing over.
Make Faith Central to Daily Life
Following the Deuteronomy 6 model means talking about God's truth constantly—at home, on the road, at bedtime, and when waking up. Faith shouldn't be compartmentalized to Sunday mornings but woven into every aspect of family life.
What About Parents Who Feel They've Failed?
If you recognize that you haven't provided the best example for your children, it's not too late. Take responsibility, go to your children, and say: "I really messed up. I didn't give you the best example, and I'm sorry. I know you'll wrestle with this, but I'm going to do the best I can from here forward."
God's mercy is abundant, and Christ is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters even in our failures. The goal isn't to beat yourself up but to take steps forward in building a more biblical foundation.
Life Application
This week, commit to developing a vibrant, totally surrendered relationship with Jesus Christ through His Word. You cannot pass on what you don't possess. Begin by examining your own worldview—is it purely biblical, or have you mixed in elements from the culture around you?
Start removing anything from your home that contradicts biblical truth and replace it with reminders of God's commands and character. Make faith conversations natural and frequent, not forced or compartmentalized.
Questions for reflection:
Do I truly love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, or am I holding back areas of my life?
What worldly influences in my home might be hindering my children from coming to Christ?
How can I make God's truth more central to our daily conversations and family culture?
What specific steps will I take this week to develop a more biblical worldview that I can pass on to the next generation?
Remember: if we as God's people would seek to love and serve Him with every fiber of our being, it would be well with us and our children and our children's children. The pattern you set today will echo through generations.
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