My oldest daughter recently started middle school. With an abundance of extracurricular activities, from softball to student ministry to hanging out with friends, her schedule is full, and our time together is limited. However, chauffeuring her to school in the mornings gives us one-on-one time.

In truth, most of our time together these days is spent in the car. To make the most of it, we turned our travel time into Bible study. We keep it simple, typically focusing on a verse or walking through what the Bible says about a certain topic. But one day, she asked a question I wasn’t quite prepared for: “Mom, how do we know that Christianity is the ‘right religion’?”

I wanted to reply, “Because the Bible says so,” but I knew that would only gloss over her curiosity. The reality is, as she matures in her faith, she’ll have more questions like these. The way I answer today will shape how comfortable she feels asking me questions in the future. It may also shape how she feels about bringing her doubts, confusions, and struggles to God.

I don’t have all the answers. But I knew it was important for me to address her question, acknowledge her doubt, and start a conversation—together.

Your Child’s Doubts Can Be a Sign of Active Faith

When our children start to question their faith, it can feel alarming. As Christian parents, our greatest desire is to see our children come to the Lord and walk in His ways. Because so many voices compete for our children’s hearts today, we often mistake our children’s questions for the start of spiritual drifting. But often, questions are evidence of an active faith—our children aren’t apathetic about what they believe; they desire to deepen their understanding.

Therefore, we first must shift our perspective on doubt. Doubt isn’t automatically a sign of weak or failing faith. We can approach our doubt with curiosity rather than judgment. The answer is not to dismiss, push away, or ignore our doubts, questions, and struggles with faith. Instead, we engage in the conversation and guide our children to ask, “What can this doubt teach me about God, His character, and His Word?” When we do this, our doubts can draw us into deeper intimacy with God instead of leading us to mistrust ourselves and Him. God can handle our doubts, questions, and unbelief.

Is It Okay to Ask God “Why?”

The book of Habakkuk is only three chapters long. Placed near the end of the Old Testament, it could easily be missed. Yet this small book about the prophet Habakkuk, set about 2,600 years ago, shows that doubting and questioning God aren’t new. The book of Habakkuk abruptly begins with him crying out to God: “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save?” (Habakkuk 1:2, ESV). The prophet goes on to ask why God allows evil to prevail and what God will do about it. Then, a dialogue between God and Habakkuk ensues.

What I love about this exchange is that God doesn’t ignore Habakkuk’s concerns; instead, He invites the prophet into a conversation. And while God doesn’t answer Habakkuk’s grievance the way he hoped, He never rebukes him for questioning. God doesn’t shame Habakkuk for doubting His work, call out his challenge to His justice, or reprimand him for disagreeing with His plans. Instead, we see God’s patience, His long-suffering nature, on full display (Habakkuk 1:5–11, 2:2–20). Our heavenly Father, in His limitlessness, is well aware of His children’s limited understanding. These verses provide comfort to those who fear that questioning is automatically sinful or a sign of weak faith. On the contrary, we see with Habakkuk that his questioning stems from a deep desire to understand the things of God (Habakkuk 2:1).

How to Trust God When It Doesn’t Make Sense

There will be plenty of questions our tweens ask that a simple “the Bible says so,” accompanied by Scripture, is sufficient to answer. But as our tweens begin to move from an inherited faith to owning their faith, more Bible study can open the door to further inquiry. If you’ve ever read the Bible cover to cover, you know some things are difficult to digest. The opening book of Genesis starts with a talking snake (Genesis 3), the murder of a family member (Genesis 4), the enigmatic “sons of God” who had children with human women (Genesis 6:1–4), a flood that wiped out nearly all of humanity (Genesis 6–9), a tower that results in multiple languages (Genesis 11), and that’s only in the first eleven chapters! And beyond confusing narratives, the Bible contains many things that go directly against widely held beliefs of contemporary culture.

The first chapter of Habakkuk exposes the tension that many Christians experience within their faith: How do we trust God when it doesn’t make sense? If we look back at Habakkuk’s story, we see that in response to his deep concern over the injustice and oppression, God says He will send the Babylonians (who were notoriously wicked) to punish the nation of Judah and take them into captivity. In His second answer, God tells Habakkuk that “the righteous one will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). The Lord isn’t asking Habakkuk to understand, agree with, or even like His plan. He is asking Habakkuk to trust in Him even when he doesn’t have all the answers.

Finding Hope in God’s Faithfulness When Questions Remain

When questions threaten to uproot Habakkuk’s faith, the prophet ultimately accepts God’s plan, even though he doesn’t fully understand (Habakkuk 3:16–19). Even without all the answers, Habakkuk is able to trust in God, for He is the Rock, the firm foundation on which faith is built (Habakkuk 1:12).

Living by faith means trusting God even in challenging circumstances, when our questions go unanswered, or when doubt persists. Our assurance rests on remembering God’s faithfulness: His deliverance of Israel, His salvation through Christ, and His promised eternal reign (Revelation 11:15). Habakkuk models for us full surrender and submission to God’s sovereignty in all things—a faith that precedes understanding, not the reverse.

Three Things to Remember When the Hard Questions Come

Think back to God’s conversation with Habakkuk, and remember three things. First, God invites His people to ask hard questions. Habakkuk’s wrestlings are preserved, not punished; God welcomes honest speech. Second, we don’t have to like God’s answers to live by faith. The righteous live by faith even when God’s timing and methods are mysterious. Third, God cannot always be explained, but He can be known, and that knowing sustains us. Habakkuk’s faith is strengthened not by full explanation but by encountering God’s character and choosing to trust Him.

We (and our children) don’t need to feel shame when coming before the Lord with our complaints, grievances, and frustrations—remember, He already knows. As we saw with Habakkuk, God isn’t requiring us to understand or even like His plans, but He desires that we fully trust His ways. He is good, and He is working all things for our good and His glory, today and for all eternity (Romans 8:28).

If you liked this article, check out the related resources linked below!

---

Author Bio

Laura Bailey is a wife and mom to three girls. She holds a certificate in biblical studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, is the director of Women’s Ministries at her church, and is the author of multiple books and Bible studies. She loves strong coffee, reading, walking with friends, and cheering on her girls at the ball field.

Related Resources:

Even If | A Bible Study of Habakkuk		The Questions Handbook		Christ-Centered Family
Loading price…		Loading price…		Loading price…
Add to Cart		Add to Cart		Add to Cart