I struggle with directions and technology. Recently, I programmed my phone’s GPS to guide me to a specific location, and somehow I ended up with two AI women giving me directions at the same time. To make things more confusing, they weren’t giving me the same directions. One told me to turn left at the light; the other one told me to turn right. 

Having visited this location once before, I instinctively knew that one of the directions was incorrect. The correct instructions were coming from a familiar voice, the one I usually hear on my GPS.  As I drove down the road, I found myself leaning toward the dashboard speakers to better distinguish between the two voices. I followed only the directions given by the voice I knew, and therefore successfully reached my destination.

This experience reminds us that many “voices” compete for our grandchildren’s attention. Some voices impart truth; others don’t.

False Voices Vying for Our Grandchildren’s Attention:

False voices are everywhere. In this blog, we will consider only three: marketing, social media, and relativism.

We are constantly bombarded with marketing slogans and catchy advertising jingles guaranteeing that we can “have it our way” and “own our tomorrow.” If you were to ask any child in a cancer ward whether such slogans hold any truth, they would likely respond, “No.” 

Another misleading voice is social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram typically showcase the best moments in people’s lives. Whether it’s intentional or not, this representation alludes to having a “perfect life.” This leads to a comparison trap that makes readers feel inferior and inadequate. Researchers believe that extensive social media use is contributing to the rise in depression, anxiety, self-injury, and suicide among today’s youth.  

The philosophy of relativism, which claims that individuals define truth for themselves based on their perceptions, is prevalent today. In his book, Never Too Late, author Rob Reinow illustrates relativism with the following parable from India: Three blind men were walking along a path when they stumbled upon a large elephant blocking their way. The first blind man reached out and touched the elephant’s side. “We’ve walked into a rather large wall,” he said. “We’ll have to turn back.” 

The second blind man also reached out his hand. Instead of touching the elephant’s side, however, he encountered the elephant’s tail. He shook his head emphatically and said, “This isn’t a wall. It is a brush pile.”

 “Nope. You’re both wrong,” said the third blind man as he touched the elephant’s trunk. “This is the trunk of a massive tree.”

Which one of the blind men is correct? None of them. It’s an elephant! Relativism teaches that, because the blind men based their assumptions on their perceptions, all three blind men are accurate.

Make no mistake, God alone defines truth, and yet our culture, even our schools, places this responsibility on young people’s shoulders. It’s a burden too heavy for them to carry.
Marketing slogans, social media posts, and the philosophy of relativism appeal to the idol of individualism. These are only three examples of the many false voices vying for our grandchildren’s attention and ultimately their hearts. Scripture tells us that a person who listens and adheres to falsehoods such as these “feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:20, ESV).

Awakening Our Grandchildren to the Voice of Truth

As godly grandparents, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to guide our grandchildren to the ultimate source of truth: God’s Word.

If your grandchildren don’t have their own Bible, I suggest asking their parents if you can buy one for them. You can choose an ornate or simple edition, leather or paperback, whichever you like.  I also recommend purchasing Bible tabs. I remember the wonderful time my husband and I had helping our granddaughters put tabs in their Bibles. We laughed for an hour as our granddaughters, all of whom were in elementary school at the time, tried to pronounce the books’ titles. “Habakkuk” stumped all three girls. 

A Bible left unopened on a shelf or tucked away in the back of a closet just gathers dust; therefore, it’s important to make sure your grandchildren know how to use their Bible. Start by explaining that the Bible consists of 66 books, which are listed in the Table of Contents. Point out the Old and New Testaments and note the difference between them. Tell your grandchildren that everything—I did say EVERYTHING—in the Bible points to Jesus.

Next, it’s time to teach them how to find a specific Bible verse or passage. Start by writing down the reference of your favorite Bible verse on a piece of paper. For example, let’s use John 3:16, (NIV). Explain that John is the name of the book, the number three is the chapter, and the number sixteen indicates the verse. A verse is similar to a sentence. Demonstrate how to use the Table of Contents to find the book of John, then locate the correct chapter and verse.

While reading a particular verse or passage with your grandchildren, discuss what you’ve read and how it connects to your life. Questions you can ask include: 1) What does God reveal about Himself in this verse or passage? 2) What does it ask of us?  3) What wisdom does it hold? 

God’s Word provides us with truth and life; therefore, it’s important that your discussion doesn’t turn into a morality lesson or a list of rules.

Listening for the Voice of Truth

God’s Word is the voice of truth. Just as I could recognize and follow the correct directions from a familiar voice on my GPS, the more time your grandchildren spend reading their Bibles, the better they will be able to discern the difference between truth and lies. 

In closing, I want to share my favorite story about listening for God’s directions. It was summer, and I was serving on GrandCamp staff in the Carolinas. It was my turn to lead the morning devotional. The devotion I was assigned to deliver was Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”

I decided to model a trust walk. I invited a grandfather and his twelve-year-old granddaughter to the front of the room. The granddaughter agreed to be blindfolded with her grandfather as her guide. She was blindfolded and placed beside the windows at the far side of the room. I intended for her grandfather to find a niche, directly across from her; instead, he went to the opposite corner of the room. My heart sank. She was going to have a tough time navigating the rows of chairs, blindfolded.

Meanwhile, I instructed the remaining grandparents and grandchildren, seventy-five in all, to create a loud clamor by making the sounds of their favorite barnyard animals. 

The trust walk started when the grandfather called, “Sweetheart, come to me.” I watched in amazement as the granddaughter focused on her grandfather’s voice. 

“Move ten steps forward,” he called, and she did. “Now, another ten steps.” Again, she moved. Whenever the noise of the crowd became too loud, she stopped moving until she could hear his voice. At one point, she got stuck trying to navigate into an aisle. She couldn’t hear her granddad’s voice over the din of the crowd, so she stopped again until she heard him call.

When she reached the back of the room, her grandfather said, “You’re home now. Just walk straight to me.” She didn’t walk; she ran. Visibly relieved, she ran and collapsed into her grandfather’s arms.

I want my grandchildren, as well as yours, to block out the world’s lies and listen instead to God’s voice. I want them to follow His guidance. And when Jesus calls them home, I want them to run into His arms, knowing they are loved.