Shepherding a Child's Heart

Shepherding through Doubt
There will be time of doubt and question in the life of any young
person raised in a Christian home. Part of internalization is becoming
self-conscious of faith. Every young person goes through some period
in which he examines the claims of Christian faith at “arm’s length.”
Every teen must come to grips with whether he has believed for
himself or been swept along by the family. He will have times when
he questions the validity of Scripture. He will need to strengthen his
grip on the cardinal truths of the faith.
Sometimes, parents are tempted to panic when their children have
questions. They respond with things like, “I can’t believe you are
doubting God,” or “You just have to believe it,” or “It is best not to
question those things.”
Encourage your children not to run from their questions. Everyone
does not have to have every question, but everyone must find

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resolution for the questions he has. Christian faith is robust enough to
stand close scrutiny.
You will sometimes have to help teens find answers to problems
that you have never found difficult. You may need to educate
yourself. I have needed to learn some basic physics in order to help
my children look at this discipline from a biblical perspective. You
may have to help them locate books or other apologetic materials.
You can share your own experience of dealing with questions of
faith. You can show them that non-Christian philosophy is devoid of
satisfying and unified answers to the major philosophical questions
about humankind and the cosmos.
We have also exposed our children to relationships with people
who understand the world of ideas through the grid of biblical faith.
Developing family relationships with Christian people who have
interests in common with our teens is important for our children. Our
children have been enriched by relationships with Christian people
who are much older than they. These relationships have buttressed our
instruction and strengthened our influence.
Above all, don’t panic during these times. Walk through them
with your kids, entrusting them and your training and their salvation
to Almighty God.