The Parenting Moment
Your nine-year-old looks up from their dinner plate and says, “Mum, if God is real, why can’t we see Him?” Or perhaps your teenager quietly confesses, “I’m not sure I believe what we believe anymore.” Your heart tightens. You scramble for the right words. You wonder whether something has gone wrong — whether their faith is crumbling before your eyes.
But what if children asking hard questions about God is not a sign of failing faith? What if it is actually a sign that their faith is waking up? The good news is that Scripture does not ask you to have all the answers. It simply asks you to keep the conversation going.
Biblical Foundation
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
The Shema, one of the most ancient and treasured passages in Scripture, was never designed to be confined to a Sunday morning or a bedtime devotional. God commanded His people to weave conversations about Him into the fabric of ordinary life — over breakfast, on the school run, at bedtime, in the car. The Hebrew word translated “impress” or “teach diligently” carries the idea of sharpening, of repeatedly and intentionally honing something over time. Faith formation was always meant to happen in the everyday, unscripted moments of family life.
Notice that the instruction begins with the parents’ own hearts: “These commandments are to be on your hearts.” Before you can guide your children through their questions, you are invited to sit with God yourself — to hold your own doubts, wrestle with your own uncertainties, and root yourself in Jesus, who is the fullness of God revealed. When you model honest, humble faith, you give your children permission to do the same. A parent who says “That’s a wonderful question — I’ve wondered about that too” is far more powerful than one who shuts the conversation down with a nervous, final-sounding answer.
Practical Wisdom
- Normalise the question, not just the answer. When your child asks something difficult, respond first with warmth rather than alarm. Try saying: “I love that you’re thinking about this — these are the kinds of questions that matter.” This signals that faith and honest thinking go hand in hand, rather than in opposition.
- Use age-appropriate conversation starters. For younger children (ages 5–8), ask: “What do you think God is like?” or “Is there anything about Jesus you find confusing?” For older children and teens, try: “Is there anything about faith you’re finding hard to believe right now?” or “What would help your faith feel more real to you?” Opening the door gently is always better than waiting for a crisis moment.
- Resist the urge to over-explain or lecture. The Deuteronomy 6 model is conversational and relational, not didactic. Ask follow-up questions. Sit in the uncertainty together. You do not need to resolve every theological tension in one conversation — sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is say, “Let’s keep thinking about this together.”
- Point every question back to Jesus. Whatever the doubt or struggle, bring it to the person of Christ. “I’m not sure why God allows suffering — but I know Jesus entered into it with us.” Anchoring the conversation in who Jesus is, rather than abstract theology, keeps faith personal and alive.
- Create a culture of ‘along the way’ faith. Look for natural on-ramps in everyday life — a news story, a film, a friendship conflict — and ask, “I wonder what God thinks about that?” You don’t need a curriculum. You need curiosity, consistency, and the Holy Spirit’s help.
Encouragement for Parents
You do not need a theology degree to raise a child with resilient faith. What your children need most is not a parent with perfect answers, but a parent who is genuinely walking with Jesus and willing to be honest about the journey. Doubt, when it is welcomed into the light of Scripture and conversation, does not destroy faith — it deepens it. Some of the most steadfast believers you will ever meet are those who were given space, as children, to ask every difficult question they carried.
God is not threatened by your child’s questions. He is the One who said, “Come, let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). Trust that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your family’s kitchen table conversations. You are not parenting alone. Keep talking, keep listening, and keep pointing your children to Jesus — the One in whom every question ultimately finds its home.
Family Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that You are not afraid of our questions. Give our family the courage to wonder out loud together, and the wisdom to seek You in the middle of every doubt. Help us as parents to hold our children’s questions with gentleness and grace, pointing them always back to You. May our home be a place where faith is real, honest, and growing — one conversation at a time. Amen.
Did this post encourage you? Share it with a parent in your church community who might need it today — and consider leaving a comment below with a question your child has asked that you’d love help navigating.