2,000 years ago, a man famously asked another, “What is truth?”
The man asking the question was Pilate, who asked it of Jesus at His trial (John 18:38). Jesus had just claimed that all who were on the side of truth listened to Him. Pilate retorted with the above reply.
“What is truth?”
It’s a great question.
For the Pharisees, the “truth” was that Jesus was an agitator and blasphemer who deserved death.
For the crowds, the “truth” was that He was a false Messiah who didn’t live up to His claims.
For Jesus, the truth was that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).
Pilate’s question was tough but fair. Who was he supposed to listen to? When everyone has a different version of “truth,” how can one actually discover what the truth is?
Obviously, this problem persists today, perhaps even more so in our modern internet-driven world. “Truth” is something we can pick and choose.
We can choose only the news sources that align with our views.
We can follow influencers who tell us exactly what we want to hear.
Tech companies and algorithms feed us what we want to see while also elevating the loudest and most extreme voices on all sides of an issue, ratcheting up the rhetoric so that we’ll click and engage more.
Our leaders, instead of leaning on their best arguments for what is right, viciously attack those on “the other side.”
Honestly, if I were the devil, I’d be doing exactly what is happening right now in our culture:
Flood the world with so many versions of “truth” that it becomes impossible to define, and then use those views to stir up as much anger and conflict as possible.
And this is the world we are raising our kids in.
In an age when everyone claims “my truth” vs. “your truth,” what does a man do if he is simply seeking the truth?
And how can dads raise their kids to seek and know truth when truth itself can seem like an abstract concept instead of a set reality?
Here are some things men can do:
1. Lay a Strong Foundation
This is the most obvious step that dads can take.
The classic illustration is that a banker doesn’t learn to detect counterfeit money by studying counterfeits; there are too many of them, and the techniques for creating fakes are ever-evolving.
Rather, the banker studies the real thing—its texture, smell, color, etc. By mastering the true, the false is easily detected by comparison.
Through Scripture, through the life of Christ, through church life, through teaching moments and important conversations, good dads lay down a foundation of God’s truth for their kids (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
By emphasizing the real and making it a priority, we help our kids stand strong on truth and readily detect what is not.
2. Don’t Play the Game
With so many different voices claiming to represent truth, it can be exhausting to wade through it all, and even more tiring to speak against it.
We don’t have to address every issue or controversy, and we’re not obliged to answer every challenge (2 Timothy 2:23-24). The internet is too big, and there are too many perspectives.
But neither do we need to buy into a worldview that quotes “my truth” instead of “the truth.” When people speak of “my” or “your” truth, what they really mean is their opinion or interpretation. And we certainly understand that many things are, indeed, simply a matter of differing opinions, not truth itself.
But beyond that, Christians do believe in objective truth, and for the Christ-follower, that truth is found in Christ (John 14:6). So while we don’t have to fight every fight about the nature of truth, neither should we back off from our important convictions on important matters.
3. Invite Questions and Curiosity
As a pastor, I watched many people come to Jesus over the years, and some also fell away. When talking with those who fell away, one common reason that came up was, “I was never allowed to question anything growing up, and eventually I got tired of having questions without answers.”
God intentionally created humanity with curiosity, and He gave it for a reason: it keeps us exploring and searching for truth (Proverbs 25:2).
We shouldn’t be afraid of our kids asking questions about the faith, even hard ones. They are sorting things out and doing exactly what they should. Shutting them down doesn’t help them at all.
Nor should we feel pressure to have an answer for every question. When we are asked something we don’t know, we can search out someone to help us answer it—a pastor, an older believer we trust, etc.
Questions aren’t enemies; they help guide us toward what is right (James 1:5).
4. Don’t Just Teach Truth; Teach Discernment
Sharing the truth is important for every dad, but you’re not going to be there every time they encounter an idea that you disagree with.
Not only do we want to share the truth, but we also want to show them how to discover it themselves (1 John 4:1).
Teach them how to read the Word. Teach them how to measure things against the way of Christ. Teach them how to weigh out whether a voice is worth listening to. Teach them how to handle challenges to their beliefs with strength and grace.
Through things like these, we set our kids up for success long after they’ve left the nest and are out on their own (Philippians 1:9-10).
5. Show Them How It’s Done
As has often been said, the best lessons are not taught but caught (1 Corinthians 11:1).
All dads are called to be teachers, but the best lessons we teach are what we live out before our children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
As dads, we don’t just talk about it; we model for our kids seeking, discerning, and standing strong for the truth, setting them up well for anything they might face down the road.
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