The Courage to Question in Faith

“Do you really believe that?” It’s a question that many Christians face sometimes from others, and often from within themselves. It’s the question that surfaces late at night or during a crisis of faith. It’s the whisper that wonders, How can this be true?

And for those of us who grew up asking a thousand questions about the Bible, about God, about the world it’s a question that comes naturally. But here’s the truth: asking questions doesn’t weaken our faith. It can deepen it.

The Christian life is not a blind sprint into the unknown; it is a thoughtful journey of trust and curiosity is not a detour on that path. It’s often the trailhead.

You Were Created to Ask

Ever spent a full day with a small child? If so, you’ve probably answered a hundred questions before lunch. Why is the sky blue? How do birds fly? Where does God live? That endless stream of wonder may seem exhausting, but it’s also divinely designed.

God wired us to be curious. From Eden’s first breath, humans were made to explore, observe, question, and learn. Curiosity is not a symptom of doubt it’s a mark of being human.

And that doesn’t change when it comes to matters of faith.

In fact, Scripture tells us that the glory of God is sometimes hidden in mystery. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” In other words, asking questions is not only allowed it is honored.

God Can Handle Your Questions

Fear often keeps us silent. We're afraid to ask because we fear what the answers might mean or what others might think. We fear that if we tug on the thread of our faith, the whole thing might unravel.

But here’s the good news: God is not fragile.

He is not threatened by your questions. He is not shaken by your confusion. In fact, Scripture is full of people asking hard questions some with reverence, others with frustration. And still, God listens.

Consider Job. In the middle of unthinkable suffering, he questioned everything: God’s justice, His presence, His purpose. And while God never gives Job a tidy answer, He doesn’t reject him either. He meets him in power, in truth, in glory. And Job walks away humbled, but still in relationship.

The same is true for us. As long as our questions drive us to God not away from Him they are tools for intimacy, not rebellion.

Jesus Asked Too

Perhaps the most compelling evidence that questions belong in our walk with God is that Jesus Himself asked them.

From the temple at age twelve to the cross at thirty-three, Jesus asked profound, penetrating questions. He questioned the Pharisees, the disciples, and even His Father.

In His darkest moment, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). That question, agonized and raw, didn’t disqualify His divinity. It didn’t lessen His obedience. It revealed the depths of His humanity.

Jesus shows us that true faith doesn’t ignore the questions it brings them to God.

Ask with the Right Heart

But how we ask matters.

Questions can either be an act of humility or an act of pride. One kind of question seeks understanding; the other seeks to dominate or discredit. God invites the first kind. The second kind, Scripture warns against.

James 1:5 encourages us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach.” But James goes on to say we must ask “in faith, with no doubting” (v. 6) meaning we come not with suspicion, but with trust that God will lead us.

Here are a few heart checks for asking well:

• Ask to know God more deeply, not to play judge over Him.

• Ask to serve others more faithfully, not to win an argument.

• Ask to dismantle harmful theology, not to elevate yourself.

• Ask with wonder, not with arrogance.

Questions That Draw Us Near

Some questions won’t have answers this side of eternity. And that’s okay. Christianity does not rest on having every mystery solved it rests on the mystery of the gospel: that a holy God would love broken sinners enough to redeem them.

But that doesn’t mean we stop asking. The Psalms are filled with cries like, “Why, O Lord?” and “How long?” These aren’t rhetorical they’re relational. And God invites us to pray them too.

Because at the end of the day, questions when asked in faith lead us closer to the One who holds every answer.

Faith Is Not the Absence of Questions

Faith is not closing your eyes and pretending your doubts don’t exist. It’s opening your heart and saying, “God, I don’t understand but I’m bringing this to You.”

Jesus doesn’t ask us to check our minds at the door. He invites us to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mark 12:30). That means thoughtful faith is faithful faith.

So go ahead. Ask your questions. Bring them to Scripture. Bring them to your community. Most of all, bring them to God.

He’s not afraid.

He’s already waiting at the throne with wisdom, with compassion, and with love.

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