The other day, as I locked up our little church after a powerful Sunday morning, I found myself wondering—yet again—about something in my faith I thought I’d settled long ago. Funny how questions keep showing up, even when you’re the pastor. If you’ve ever hesitated to voice a question about faith, you’re not alone. Let’s make a safe place to talk about doubt and curiosity, and—strange as it sounds—how they might actually help us follow Christ more authentically.

 

Why Do We Have Questions? (And Why That’s Actually Good)

Let me share something that might surprise you: I question things, too. Yes, even as your pastor, I wrestle with doubts sometimes. And you know what? That’s perfectly normal.

Look at the Bible—it’s full of people asking hard questions. Thomas needed to see Jesus’ wounds. Job demanded answers from God during his suffering. Even Jesus himself cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

These weren’t weak moments; they were honest ones. Christianity has always encouraged questioning and exploration of faith. Questions aren’t the enemy of belief—they’re signposts of a living, curious faith. When we stop asking, we stop growing.

Here’s what I’ve learned: uncertainty often pushes us toward deeper understanding, not away from it. Those sleepless nights wondering about God’s plan? Those moments when you can’t reconcile suffering with divine love? They’re not spiritual failures. They’re invitations to dig deeper.

The unexamined faith can slowly wither, but questioning can revive it. God isn’t thrown off by your doubts. He’s not angry with your questions. He’s big enough to handle them all.

God Isn’t Upset By Our Curiosity

Here’s what I’ve learned after years in ministry: God invites our questions. Look through Scripture—from Abraham bargaining with God to Job demanding answers in his suffering. Even Jesus welcomed Thomas’s doubts with open arms, not condemnation.

I’ve watched too many people leave church because they felt their questions made them bad Christians. That breaks my heart. Having doubts doesn’t mean you’re disloyal or unloved by God. It means you’re human, and you’re thinking deeply about things that matter.

Christianity has always encouraged questioning and exploration of faith, creating spaces for honest dialogue about doubts. Our church should feel less like a courtroom where you’re on trial and more like a living room conversation where you’re welcomed exactly as you are.
God’s patience with struggling believers throughout history reveals something beautiful: the divine embrace of honest exploration. Your questions aren’t roadblocks to faith—they’re often the very path that leads you closer to God. When we wrestle with the big questions, we’re not pushing God away. We’re drawing near.

 

Real Faith Journeys Include Questions

After years in ministry, I’ve realized, nobody’s spiritual path is a straight line. Questioning and exploration are encouraged in Christianity, and I see this truth lived out in our congregation every single week.

Questions hit us in the most ordinary moments. Maybe it’s during a sleepless night when doubts creep in, or at a funeral service when suffering feels overwhelming. Sometimes a new friendship challenges what we’ve always believed. That’s completely normal.

The big questions—about suffering, science, or why God sometimes feels silent—aren’t failures of faith. They’re part of the journey. I’ve watched people circle around the same questions for years, wrestling with God’s “hiddenness” or how faith fits with scientific discovery. This questioning process is actually healthy for spiritual growth.

Let’s be honest: even Jesus’s disciples sometimes seemed completely baffled! They asked tough questions, doubted, and struggled to understand. If the people who walked directly with Jesus had questions, why wouldn’t we?

Your questions don’t surprise God or make Him angry. They’re invitations to go deeper.

 

If I Could Ask One Unfiltered Question…

If I could ask God anything, maybe it’d be, “Why do prayers feel unanswered sometimes?” The question that sits heavy in my heart during those 3 AM moments when sleep won’t come.

Here’s what I want to know from you: What’s your wildest, most “off-limits” question? The one you’re afraid to voice even in prayer? I encourage you to share it in a journal, whisper it in prayer, or confide in a trusted friend. Christianity encourages questioning and exploration of faith – it’s how we grow.

Are there really “forbidden questions,” or are those the ones we most need to voice? In my pastoral experience, naming the question – even when no clear answer comes – brings a strange kind of peace. It’s like finally exhaling after holding your breath.

Sometimes in small groups, it is helpful to do an exercise where people share questions anonymously. You wouldn’t believe how it creates community bonds. Suddenly, everyone realizes they’re not alone in their wondering.

God isn’t thrown off by your questions. He’s big enough to handle them.

 

Questions That Never Go Away: Wrestling with Big Ideas

In my twenty years of ministry, I’ve watched countless believers wrestle with the same big questions that have challenged Christians for centuries. How does science fit with Scripture? Why does a loving God allow suffering? Where is God when life feels impossibly hard?
Here’s what I’ve learned: It’s perfectly okay if you haven’t “solved” these mysteries. Each generation faces its own questions—some brand new, others echoing through the ages. The apostles had questions. The early church had questions. We have questions too.

That moment reminded me why these conversations matter. There’s spiritual gold in the struggle—not in having all the answers, but in courageously asking the questions together.

 

Conclusion: The Best Questions Lead to Deeper Love, Not Certainty

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of walking alongside questioning hearts: your questions don’t scare God away. They actually draw you closer to Him. I’ve watched doubters become some of the most passionate believers, not because they found all the answers, but because they discovered that seeking itself is sacred.

When we bring our hardest questions into prayer, into conversation, into our small groups, something beautiful happens. We realize we’re all fellow travelers, each carrying our own mix of clarity and confusion. That’s exactly where God meets us.

Christianity has always encouraged questioning and exploration of faith, just as Jesus did in His own ministry. The Bible itself is filled with people wrestling with God—and being blessed for it.

So here’s my invitation: bring those tough questions forward. Share them in community. Let them lead you deeper into relationship rather than away from it. Faith is a journey, not a test you pass or fail.

Let’s choose community, courage, and curiosity together. Your questions are welcome here.

You’re not alone in your questions or doubts. Christianity welcomes honest exploration, and it’s not only okay—but deeply human—to wrestle with faith. Your questions are safe here, and God’s love is big enough for all of them.