Questioning Faith

Faith isn’t a straight line; it’s more of a winding road filled with unexpected turns, pauses, and chasing squirrels. For many Christians, especially those of us raised conservatively, questioning our faith is scary because it shakes up our belief in our foundations. Yet, it is through these questions that our faith often becomes deeper and more authentic.

Due to some painful church experiences and a look at faith from a different point of view, I found myself wrestling with doubt and conflicted beliefs that challenged my longstanding understanding of Christianity. I was a pastor’s daughter raised in the Word and locked into a personal belief that my value was directly related to my behavior. I felt like asking questions meant my faith was weak or failing. But is it really? I discovered that questioning is not the enemy of faith—it’s a vital part of growing spiritually.

I once heard Joni Erikson Tada say that “God is big enough for your biggest questions.” But I didn’t really believe it. For a long time I suppressed these doubts. I stumbled on the inside, struggling with believing words I shared daily about my faith.

Understanding and reconciliation didn’t come until I embraced my questions and allowed myself space to sit quietly in uncertainty.

Surprisingly, this period of questioning strengthened rather than weakened my faith. I learned to hold tension gently, recognizing that mystery is inherent to spirituality. God, I realized, is not afraid of my questions—in fact, engaging sincerely with doubts invited me into a deeper relationship with my faith.

Ultimately, resolving personal conflict about faith is less about obtaining all the answers and more about developing trust and openness in our spiritual journeys. My questions taught me humility, compassion, and patience. Faith became not just something I inherited or accepted passively, but a personal truth continually discovered and rediscovered. Faith is something I choose to do. It is active. I walk in faith, trusting that God is who he says he is, in spite of my doubts.

If you’re questioning Christianity, know that your journey is valid. Embrace your doubts, choose to walk in faith. Choose to trust God alone. I don’t “feel” like I have it all together and I don’t “feel” like I have all the answers. But I do know that I have seen God alive and active in my life and I am going to choose to trust in Him.