If the biggest story we can imagine is about God’s loving and redemptive work in the   world, then our lives will be shaped by that epic. If the biggest story we   can imagine is something else, like religious nationalism, or following-your-bliss, or he-who-dies-with-the-most-toys-wins, then our lives will be shaped by those narratives instead.
 

    This is why it’s so important to tell our children good stories. Dan and I are often asked how we plan to  introduce the Bible to our son, and I generally avoid answering that question in much detail because, so far, parenting is a one big exercise in changing plans. But we certainly don’t intend to keep them from him. I want my son to be exposed to a wide variety of stories, including, when’s he’s ready,   strange and scary ones, “not because they tell us that dragons exist, but   because they tell us that dragons can be defeated.” So I suspect that, with the Bible, we will start with the parables of Jesus and perhaps some   well-behaved Psalms, then move on to Adam and Eve, Jonah and the big Fish, Jericho, the manger, and the cross. . . .
 

    Researchers tell us one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the ability to tell stories. Helping them apply narrative to their everyday experiences, and to see a purpose and direction in the forces that shape their lives, improves both cognitive function and well-being. Recounting everything from a skinned knee, to a school field trip, to a traumatic event like a car accident or death in the family with the aid of storytelling helps children make sense of their fears and emotions and manage them in a healthy way. . . .
 

    We grownups aren’t so different. We scurry around the world, grabbing bits of theology here and pieces of philosophy there, Bibles tucked under our arms as we point frantically at every question and every mystery that befalls us asking, “a-DA? a-DA? a-DA? What’s that? What’s that? What’s that?”
 

    We may wish for answers, but God rarely give us answers. Instead, God gathers us up into soft, familiar arms and says, “Let me tell you a story.”         

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If you enjoyed this 5-day devotional, check out the full book 'Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again http://amzn.to/2oRNHZX