Rather than give your opinion of the invasion, Russia, NATO, the US President, or anyone else, ask questions and listen. Your middle schoolers, teenagers, and young adults hear about the invasion from other young people, see it on social media, and interact with it online. They come into a conversation with you with an opinion. It may be an ill-informed opinion or otherwise an immature opinion, but they do have thoughts.

Ask questions that draw these thoughts out. As they speak, listen well.

Your temptation will be to cut them off too quickly or not let them say everything they are thinking. Please use discretion here. Yes, you may hear things of which you do not agree. You may hear poor opinions or hot takes. However, you want to hear those things. Listen well. Organize your thoughts as you listen.

Your teenagers may go to both politics and economics; however, you do your best to stay away from these hot button issues. If they do, listen to what they have to say. But, for the sake of the conversation and ultimately the bigger goals, you need to stay away from these issues.

Let me share a few examples of what not to say. You can take these and apply them generally to other similar statements as well.

“This crazy war is going to drive up the cost of gas. We are going to pay for what’s going on over there.”

“This is going to kill my retirement. I think the stock market is going to plunge.”

“I can’t stand the Russians. Someone ought to kill Putin. I hope they can fight back.”

These types of statements and many more do not help your teenagers see the big pictures. All three are very Western-oriented. The carnage, abuse, and destruction happening in Ukraine should upset us, but not because of economics or our politics.

Instead, help your teenagers focus on the image of God in man. What makes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine wrong is less political and more spiritual. One totalitarian dictator believes he has a right to 1) take what is not his, 2) kill and hurt others as he pleases, 3) command his own countrymen to commit these atrocities, and 4) ignore that these other people are humans too.

An evil person chooses to ignore the image of God in those to whom he seeks to control in any way possible. He demonstrates no respect to fellow man. Further, he produces fear, anxiety, despair, and loneliness on others. They hide, wonder, listen, and cry as they wait for the next bomb, soldier, or, even greater, destruction. Food, water, electricity, and other normal means of human existence are denied them.

Human suffering.

Mr. Putin in evil egregiously sins against other people who are in the image of God who live in Ukraine.

Further, in evil, he also forces his own men who should defend Russia become aggressors against an innocent population.

These are the issues, not political grandstanding or economic worries.

One key way to talk to your teenager about the Russia invasion of Ukraine is to help your teenager(s) know how to respond. Here is a list of ways that you can help your teenagers respond in their own hearts and to their own friends:

1. Pray for the people of Ukraine.

Ask God to help them, provide for them, protect them, comfort them, and calm them. Also ask God to confound the plans of Mr. Putin, defeat him, and frustrate his efforts. Ask God to provide courage where it is needed, creativity, and safety. Pray for God to help those escape who need to and provide courage for the rest who can’t. Ask God to provide the other leaders of the nations in Europe and around the world to know how to help effectively.

2. Encourage them to keep the big picture in mind.

Help them see that people matter more than politics and economics. If you are struggling here, then explain to them that you need to grow in this way as well. If they have heard your concerns this way more than in other ways, then admit it, seek their forgiveness, and explain that it is easy for any of us to get distracted in the wrong way.

3. Remind them to trust God.

The Bible says that in the last days, perilous times will come (2 Tim 3:1). As the days of Jesus’ return get closer, there will be wars and rumors of wars (Matt 24:6). In these moments, we must trust God’s plan. As mankind gets worse, hates each other, and lives for self, this slowly makes the path for the entire world’s redemption. In that way, we can hate this situation while, simultaneously, understand that these things must happen before Jesus returns. This helps get us and the world ready. We begin to look harder and groan more for the return of Jesus and ultimate redemption.

4. Encourage them to be ready for eternity.

As your middle schoolers, teenagers, and young adults discuss these things (often with younger children listening), remind them that these types of events encourage us to both be ready for eternity and make sure others around us are ready for eternity. Jesus will return. When He does, we all must be ready. Eternity lies in the balance.

5. Let them know that their sadness, anger, and disappointment are appropriate responses.

Make sure that your children know that they can both trust God faithfully while also being sad, disappointed, and righteously angry at evil, oppression, and carnage. Help provide them the words they need to express this. Remind them to attack the problem and not focus their attention on people. We are to be angry, but not sin. Instead, we choose to act and not react. We weep with those who weep.

6. Remind them of fellow believers and the Gospel of Jesus Christ active there.

Ukraine is the greatest missionary-sending country in Europe. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has been incredibly impacted by the Gospel. Thousands upon thousands (maybe millions) are followers of Christ. As this invasion happens, we want to pray for these fellow believers that their faith will endure. May God use them to reach their fellow countrymen with the Gospel even during this invasion.

 

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