How should I answer my child's question about hell?

Very gently, and always centered on God's love and rescue rather than fear. With children, avoid frightening images. You might say God loves everyone and longs for all to be with him, that being apart from him would be deeply sad, and that this is exactly why Jesus came, to bring us home. Keep it age-appropriate; deeper questions can wait until a child is older.

What do I say when my child asks why God lets bad things happen?

Be honest and warm. You can explain that much suffering comes from people being free to choose and choosing wrongly, that God did not want a world of pain, that in Jesus he entered our suffering himself, and that he promises to wipe away every tear one day. It is okay to admit we do not fully understand, while holding firmly to God's goodness.

What if I do not know how to answer my child's hard question?

Say so honestly: 'That is a big question, and I do not fully know. Let us think and find out together.' Children do not need a parent with every answer. They need one who takes their questions seriously, seeks God with them, and always returns to the truth that God is good and loves them.

Faith for Families

How to Answer Hard Questions Kids Ask About God

When a child asks a hard question about God, suffering, hell, why he lets bad things happen, you do not need a perfect answer, only an honest, tender one. Welcome the question, keep your reply simple and truthful, admit the mystery, and always land on what is most sure: God is good, God is loving, and God can be trusted. On the heaviest topics, lead gently with his love and rescue, never with fear.

If this is you: your child has asked something that stopped you cold, about suffering, or evil, or hell, and you are afraid of getting it wrong or frightening them. Take heart. These questions are a sign of a thinking child and a trusting one. You can meet even the hardest of them with honesty and love.

First, welcome the question

How you receive the question matters as much as the answer. Stay calm and warm: ‘That is a really good question. I am glad you asked me. Let us think about it together.’ This keeps your child bringing their hardest thoughts to you.

Why does God let bad things happen?

Keep it simple and honest: ‘A lot of sadness in the world comes because people are free to choose, and sometimes they choose wrongly and it hurts others. God did not want a world of pain. He is not far from our hurting; he came into the world in Jesus and suffered too, and he promises one day to wipe away every tear.’ It is okay to say we do not fully understand why, but that we know God is good and near.

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

What about hell?

This is a heavy topic, and with children it should always be handled very gently, centered on God’s love and rescue, never on fear. Keep it age-appropriate. Rather than dwelling on frightening images, you can say something like: ‘God loves everyone so much, and he wants everyone to be with him. Being away from God, who is the source of all love and good, would be very sad. That is exactly why Jesus came, to bring us home to God so we never have to be apart from his love.’ Let the takeaway be God’s rescuing love, not terror. For young children, less detail is kinder; deeper questions can wait until they are older.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

Where did God come from?

‘Nobody made God. He has always been, with no beginning and no end. That is one of the things that makes him God. It is okay that this is hard to imagine, it is too big for all of us.’

Three anchors for any hard question

Honesty: it is always okay to say, ‘I do not fully know.’
Mystery: some things are too big for anyone to understand completely, and that is not a problem for faith.
Love: whatever the question, you can always return to the surest thing, that God is good and loves them without limit.

A next step: Kids' questions about God →

Frequently asked questions

How should I answer my child's question about hell?: Very gently, and always centered on God's love and rescue rather than fear. With children, avoid frightening images. You might say God loves everyone and longs for all to be with him, that being apart from him would be deeply sad, and that this is exactly why Jesus came, to bring us home. Keep it age-appropriate; deeper questions can wait until a child is older.
What do I say when my child asks why God lets bad things happen?: Be honest and warm. You can explain that much suffering comes from people being free to choose and choosing wrongly, that God did not want a world of pain, that in Jesus he entered our suffering himself, and that he promises to wipe away every tear one day. It is okay to admit we do not fully understand, while holding firmly to God's goodness.
What if I do not know how to answer my child's hard question?: Say so honestly: 'That is a big question, and I do not fully know. Let us think and find out together.' Children do not need a parent with every answer. They need one who takes their questions seriously, seeks God with them, and always returns to the truth that God is good and loves them.

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Come and see, together

You will not always have the answer, and you do not have to. You only have to point your child, again and again, to the God who is good, who is near, and whose love for them has no end.

You do not have to have all the answers to raise a child who loves God. The same Jesus who said ‘suffer the little children to come unto me’ welcomes you and your family just as you are. Begin small: read a little of his own story together, say a short prayer at bedtime, and let his love do the growing. A gentle place to start is the Gospel of John.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

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