When Kids Question God

By: Crystal Mazzuca

When Kids Question God 

Is God really real? 

If God is good, why do bad things happen? 

Do I have to do what God wants, or can I do my own thing? 

Kids may be small in stature, but they can have some big questions when it comes to God. This does not mean that we have not taught them adequately or that they are wavering in their faith. Rather, these questions are opportunities for kids to deepen their understanding of God, the world, and themselves.  

“God has revealed Himself to us through His written Word, the Bible, and through the Living Word—Jesus.” Flip the Script, pg. 88 

When kids come to us with questions about God, we can use these as opportunities to help them know the truth about God through the Bible. 

Questioning God’s Existence 

Kids are concrete thinkers, which means believing in a God they cannot see can be a challenge. When kids question God’s existence, this is a chance for us to bring to light what the Bible says about who God is and how we can know Him. The Bible says that, from the beginning, God has made Himself known to all people (Romans 1:20) and that everything exists for Him and through Him (1 Corinthians 8:6). While we cannot see God, He has made Himself known through Jesus (John 1:18; Colossians 1:15). We can also see evidence of God through the beauty of creation (Psalm 19:1) and even in the incredible way we as people are made (Genesis 1:27). 

We will never know everything about God, but we can be certain that He does indeed exist, and He loves us so much. 

Questioning God’s Goodness 
When bad things happen, it can be difficult for kids to believe that God is good. We will not always know or understand why things happen the way they do, but we can trust that God is always good, and He is always working (Psalm 107:1; Psalm 145:9; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 9:8). 

We can help kids see evidence of God’s goodness in the light of difficult circumstances through stories in the Bible, such as God rescuing His people (Exodus 1–15), Ruth finding a new family (Ruth 1–4), and the ultimate story of God’s goodness through Jesus giving up His life to make a way for us to have a relationship and life with God forever. 

Help kids know that bad things happen because of the brokenness in our world, which is a result of sin. But the goodness of God is seen over and over in the way He loves and cares for us—and especially through Jesus. 

Questioning God’s Plan 

Kids can question if God has a plan for their lives or wonder if God’s plan is really the best. The encouraging truth is that the Bible makes this very clear. Yes, God has a plan for us, and His plan is good (Jeremiah 29:11). Yes, God has a plan to work through us to make a difference and impact in the world (Ephesians 2:10). We can help kids know that, when they are tempted to go or follow a different way, they can turn to God, ask Him for help, and know that He comes through (Proverbs 3:5-6; Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 32:8; Philippians 1:6). 

When kids question God, point them back to who God is and what He says in the Bible. God loves to answer their questions and help them know Him more. 

Crystal Mazzuca is the Content Editor and Resource Specialist for Lifeway’s NextGen resource Hyfi. With an MA in Christian Education Administration, she has a passion to encourage and equip leaders to impact the next generation for Christ. She’s spent the last 20 years in Kids, Student, and Family Ministry and loves serving both the big C church and her local church in Olympia, WA. Crystal loves reading, going to the beach, and playing video games with her 3 sons.