Being a parent can be tough. Being a Christian parent trying to raise kids with a Christian worldview in a world that despises Christianity is even tougher. Imagine being a Christian parent that didn’t grow up in Christian household. That brings some additional challenges. My wife and I did not become Christians until after our children were born. I was saved when my youngest was 2 and my wife was saved a few years later. Being new Christians and trying to raise our children was a challenge, but we are thankful we have been part of several great churches with amazing ministries that helped us raise our kids in God’s Word along the way.

One of the key verses we follow in our house is Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” I feel we have done a pretty good job on that so far. There is always room for improvement. We continually strive to be a family that follows Deuteronomy 6:6-9, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as a frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Even if your family reaches this point, a healthy sign that your children are growing into their own faith is when they start to struggle with doubts and ask questions, especially tough questions. As I watched my daughters move into their teen years, I learned this season is a great place to hone your skills as an apologist. I don’t know anyone who will put you to the challenge more than your teenagers growing into their own faith and slamming you with some tough questions. They caught me off balance, but I was proud of them for feeling comfortable enough to come to me with their questions. It allowed me to grow as an individual and opened the door to some great conversations. This last month, both of my daughters were saved at summer camp and I was fortunate enough to be able to baptize them.

Now, I know you are probably wondering what these questions, comments, and doubts were. Below is the list my daughters shared with me in the last couple of months as they struggled to make their faith their own. Some of them we talked over as a family and others were addressed from sermons as we attended church regularly. I love seeing God’s perfect timing as He leads our pastor each Sunday to share His word. I will be turning each question into a post. When I do, I will turn the question in this post into a link for you to follow for answers I found and additional resources for your own research.

Questions

• How can God be the same the and now, but He seemed so cruel in the Old Testament?
• If God knew everything that would happen, why did He still do it?
• Why did he make the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
• If God created Satan, then did He technically create sin?
• How did darkness/evil come to be?
• Why do we have to spend our entire lives worshiping God, when we will be doing that in eternity already? Why can’t we live our lives? How is that fair?
• Is God technically selfish because He says worship Him or we go to hell?
• Feel pressured to only do what God wants her to do, and that the things she wants to do aren’t what God wants her to do.
• The Trinity is confusing
• Why does it feel like we are praying to a mute father?
• I don’t want to do it, Bible Time, Prayer, Family Bible time