By Skylar Pippin*

DELHI, India–Recently, I have realized 4-year-old Chauncey* has grown more aware of the idols located in the homes of friends we visit. He started out by running up to them and yelling back to me, “Look Mom! They have idols!” or he would say out loud to me something like, “Why do they have idols?”

Honestly, it began to make me feel uncomfortable because I didn’t know how to handle the situation. My friends would just look at me with confusion as to why this was so strange to Chauncey, as if to say, “Don’t all people have idols in their homes?”

Every time we’d leave, I’d try to explain to Chauncey that this is one of the reasons we are in India. Many people do not know the truth about who God is and how He desires for them to worship Him. What they worship is not alive, but we know that our God is alive and desires for all people to know and love Him. Chauncey would just smile and say OK.

A few days ago, we visited my newest friend Sonika.* As we entered her house, a large idol was in the entryway. My son looks it over and then goes straight to Sonika and says, “Excuse me, Sonika. Do you worship the living God?” Once again, I felt flustered.

Sonika looked at me confused. “What did he say?” I quickly and quietly told Chauncey, “It’s OK, honey. It’s OK. Just go play.” Then I apologized for Chauncey, and we moved on with the visit, while Chauncey walked away a little sad.

When we got home, I tried to explain to Chauncey that it’s hard when he asks people questions about their idols, because they don’t even know they don’t know the truth. I suggested that whenever we visit someone and he sees their idols, then he could pray for them to come to know Jesus. He said, “Ok, we need to pray right now for ….” He listed off all his friends, and we prayed. I left feeling pretty good about the situation.

Later that evening, however, I was still processing everything, and I started feeling sick, ashamed. First, how could I have told my son it’s OK? Of course, it’s not OK. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Because it’s not OK! It hurts God. It makes Him angry. No, it’s not OK. What’s more, it’s not OK that I apologized for my son who was asking a question that I should have been asking but didn’t because I felt awkward since Sonika and I were just beginning our friendship. Oh how I pray that I will never again apologize for my son asking thought-provoking questions about their belief in God.

Again, I went to Chauncey, confessed and apologized. I tried to explain that God is still teaching me. What I told him earlier about just praying was right and good, but he didn’t need to stop there. It was a great thing that he was asking people about God. It is very important, because we want all people to know God.

Thankfully, our God is a faithful Father who is ever teaching us, even as we are trying to teach our children. I never realized how much of Chauncey and 2-year-old Hayley’s spiritual foundation is forming right now. If I teach my kids that we don’t bring up these issues in public, that we just “pray” for them, that’s not enough. Yes, our God does answer prayer, but He also tells us to go and tell. Please pray for us to have wisdom when training our children.

Pray also that we will not reproduce tolerant Christians, but bold faithful witnesses. I told Chauncey it was “OK” just to keep him quiet, but we both knew it was not OK. I don’t ever want to compromise because I am a little uncomfortable with the timing. Instead, I pray that I would be prepared and able to share with my friends after Chauncey asks his questions. What great opportunities!

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*Name changed.

Skylar Pippin and her husband, Dakota,* serve among South Asian peoples with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.