hen we get to heaven, can we jump off buildings without getting hurt?” My 10-year-old son and I had been discussing the possibilities in heaven, but in no way was I prepared for a question like that! All I could do was sputter something about asking God when we get there. How would you handle such a situation? In my opinion, most of us are ill prepared for some of our children’s questions. I certainly was. As a parent, I should be able to respond with more then hems and haws.

Children ask many questions. They want to know what God looks like, his age, what he wears, if he sleeps, if he eats. They want to know what Grandpa does in heaven: Is he having a party? Can he see us? Can he talk to Moses? And they want to know what heaven will be like for themselves: Will I get to play video games? Will I still have Rover? Will I get bored?

As parents, we have the awesome responsibility of tackling these questions head on. As Christians, we are called to be prepared and to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2). And frankly, children won’t let go until they get a satisfactory answer.

I certainly don’t always have satisfactory answers. You may also find yourself in this position with your own children. In situations like these, what’s a parent to do?

Years ago, while watching an orientation video for my first job, I took note of one particular instruction: “When a customer asks a question that you can’t answer, respond by saying, ‘I don’t know, but I will try to found out.’” This particular instruction was comforting because, even as a representative of the company, I was not expected to know everything. The instruction gave employees the flexibility to be human.

Parents are also human and need this same flexibility. The truth is parents do not know everything. But there are resources available, as follows.

1. God’s Word is the ultimate resource. As Christian parents, we are wise to stay in the Word and, if possible, memorize verses. 1 Peter 3:15 instructs, “… Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. …” When children (and nonbelievers and new believers) question you about God, it helps to be prepared to share a biblical basis for your belief.

2. Godly leaders can be a wellspring of knowledge. We can tap into the minds of educated Christian leaders who are better prepared to tackle the tough questions. For instance, if your teenager has questions about why God allowed millions of Jews to be killed in the Holocaust, a youth pastor may be able to shed some light on the subject. But instead of saying, “Well, this may be a good question for Pastor Jeff,” I believe we should take a step further by taking the initiative to schedule a meeting with the pastor.

3. The Internet is a wealth of information. When the tricky questions roll in, we now have the option of accessing literally millions of pages of helpful articles, Q&A forums, blogs, online Bible translations and sermon transcripts. Naturally, some of the information found on the Internet is questionable, so it is important to glean applicable information before sharing it with our children.

4. Church libraries are full of helpful tools.  In addition to excellent books by respected Christian authors and learned Bible scholars, church libraries offer resource materials such as video and audio tapes, Christian magazines and more.

5. Parents can turn to the only One who is all knowing. I’ll bet no scholarly opinion speaks of our potential ability to jump from buildings in heaven without getting hurt! And the bible certainly doesn’t address this unique question. So who knows the answer? God, of course! We can pray and ask him for answers. If they don’t come, we can explain to our children that there are some things we will simply not know until we are in heaven.

Children sometimes present the most imaginative questions and expect a genuine answer. When it comes to questions about God and spirituality, it is my opinion that we are obligated to do our best to provide a biblically accurate answer. Although God’s Word expects us to be prepared for questions about our faith, there are undoubtedly questions we cannot answer. In times like these, we can turn to God and rely on him to lead us in our attempts to tackle the toughies.

Editor's note: This article is an op-ed and, therefore, reflects the opinions of the writer.