How can we help our children to understand the fear of God? It is incredibly important for parents to train their children to have a fear of God. As parents, we should be helping and encouraging them to grow in this knowledge, even at a young age. However, this may be a difficult concept for children to grasp initially. Joel Beeke explains that to help children understand what the fear of God means, he tells them that the fear of God means that you value the smiles of God more than the smiles of people, even that of your parents. Also, you value the frowns of God rather than the frowns of people. Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) – “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,”

So it's very important to train your children in the fear of God, personally in their own relationship with God, but also in the family. It actually sets a tone and an atmosphere. When I talk to kids, I like to say this, the fear of God means that you value the smiles of God more than the smiles of people, even more than the smiles of mom and dad. And you value the frowns of God more than you value the frowns of people.