My plan was to write a review of a children’s storybook bible this month. There is one that has been around for years with mostly positive reviews. I read it twice with the expectation of writing the review. But there was something about it that didn’t sit right with me. I could see good in it for sure, but still, there was something.

It still amazes me when I make my plan and move forward with it, thinking I’m tracking with the leading of the Holy Spirit only to discover that, yes, I am following His lead, but he has a destination in mind that I was totally unaware of. I believe what He has been doing is using the book I intended to review as a tool to bring to the forefront a particularly important point. The point and topic of this blog post is that we, as parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers have the responsibility to scrutinize the content of books we give to our children. The definition of scrutinize is to examine in detail with careful or critical attention. What does that look like practically? Let me share my experience with this book and the ultimate decision to not review it.

As soon as it arrived, I read it. Overall, it seemed okay, but there was something. How it was written, how it presented various parts of the Bible, the overarching message, the feel of it. So, I put it aside for a few days and then tried reading it aloud, my husband happened to be with me at the time. He was a good sport as I read each page and showed him the illustrations like we would with kids. Funny thing is he started pointing out what he disliked about it. This is not him, he usually finds good in everything. Some of what he said lined up with how I reacted to it the first time I read it. He pointed out some issues that hadn’t bothered me as much, and they were valid points. There still wasn’t enough to deter me from moving forward.

I tried to rationalize my, and my husband’s concerns. We both know a bit about the Bible and can usually pick out discrepancies when we come across them. And there were a few, but still, because of the reputation of the author and the publishing house, I tried not to focus on them.

Then this morning, I sat down at my computer to start writing this blog post. In preparation, I decided to read some of the reviews on Amazon. This time, starting with the one-star reviews and working my way up. So many of those reviews mirrored my own concerns. Some were very well-written, obviously by people who know the Bible well. Many by parents who had serious reservations about the content. I felt the Holy Spirit leading me in a completely different direction for this post.

It can be so easy to rely on an author’s reputation, their credentials and expertise, the publishing house behind the book, reviews, even word-of-mouth recommendations to influence our decisions about the books we give to the children we love. All are valuable but shouldn’t be the decision makers for us. We must take the time to read the books we give to our children, especially those that are Bible-based. We must be sure they are truly aligned with the Word and that it is presented in a way that reflects how we want the Word to be taught to our children. Yes, it takes time, but it is time well spent. My decision to not review the book I planned on came down to the way God is presented, the stories from the Bible the author chose to focus on, and the concern that this book doesn’t line up with who I know God to be. Therefore, it isn’t a book I would read, or give, to the children I love. Thank you, Holy Spirit! Lesson learned!

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. – Proverbs 19:20

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. – Proverbs 3:5-6

But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. – 1 Thessalonians 5:21

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. – James 1:5

Until next time, God bless you!

Virginia

Virginia Finnie is the author of Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot!, Hey Warrior Kids! Put On Your Armor!, and It’s a Super-Bad Terrible Day!. Follow Children’s Books by Virginia Finnie for daily inspirational posts. https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensBooksbyVirginiaFinnie