FAQs Mondays: Why Are We Here?

I have written about the importance and usefulness of catechisms in other in previous posts. Here is a good summary.

Professor Tom J. Nettles offers a series of articles entitled, "An Encouragement to Use Catechisms." Follow the links to read them: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. These articles are well worth your time. I encourage you to read them.

Now we turn our attention to the catechism that we will explore the next several Mondays. It is A Catechism for Boys and Girls, and it has been attributed to Erroll Hulse. The catechism is geared toward helping little children get a basic understanding of biblical truth.

I want to explain a couple of things before we plunge into this study. First, I have chosen to set off the questions in orange, and the answers in italics. Second, where I felt it necessary I have revised some of the questions.

The first five questions deal with the reason for man's existence. Collectively, they answer the question, "Why are we here?" Let us look at the them:


Who made you? 
God made me.

What else did God make?

God made all things.

Why did God make you and all things?

For his own glory.

How can you glorify God?

By loving him and doing what he commands.

Why should you glorify God?

Because he made me and takes care of me. 



Typically, catechisms are to be memorized word for word. However, I often allow Sophia to give short answers like "God" for question number 1, or "Everything" for question number 2. I want her to own the answers in her heart as well as in her mind. When she gives me a short answer, I affirm her and reread the entire answer. So if I ask here, "Who made you?," and she says, "God." I will say, "That's right! God made you." Also, I usually say, "we" or "us," instead of "you" and "me." I want her to understand that these truths don't just apply to her.

You cannot always tell where these answers are resting. Sometimes they're just in the memory. You ask the question, and the answer gets parroted back. Other times, you get to see how these questions and answers are taking root. The other day Sophia was asking about something, and as I tried to answer her I was trying to see if she understood me. Finally, she said, "Is it because God made it that way. Because God made everything." (Yes, my chest swelled with pride). I saw in that instant that the catechism was beginning to shape some of her thinking on the world around her. She is starting to perceive God's hand in the world--all because we have taken time to work through some simple questions and answers.

Through these five questions, we begin to see that God made us (and all things) for his own glory. Further, we are made to understand that we are obligated to give God glory through our love and obedience. These truths lay the foundation for explaining the gospel to our children (and others).

I hope you can see the simplicity of this approach, and its practical applications. I encourage you to print off a copy and begin working through it with your children (or on you own if you don't have small children at home). It will give you a good framework from which to work through biblical doctrines. I hope you will stay tuned to the other FAQs Mondays post. Next week, we will look at the question, "Who is God?"