Finding your faith isn’t always linear – The Cauldron
Faith is at the heart of many Christians’ lives, but the journey to a personal relationship with God varies for everyone.
Being raised in the faith
Those who were raised in the Christian household typically went to church every Sunday, prayed before every meal or before bed and knew to lean on God for everything. Being raised as a Christian has helped a lot of people to keep their faith and continue to live under God’s words, written in the Bible.
I sat down for an interview with Allie Hersberger, a first year at Kent State University.
“My parents definitely did a good job at keeping God at the center of our family. We went to church every Sunday and would always pray before bed and before meals,” said Hersberger. “One thing my parents did very good at, was that growing up if we came home with any friend drama, they always made sure to remind us that every problem is a gospel problem. So even from a young age, I always knew to look at everything from a Godly perspective.”
For some, when you’re raised in a household that honors God, it could be easier to continue that relationship with Him as you grow older. In Christian households, it’s important to teach your children from a young age what you feel Jesus has done for you. A lot of Christians who were raised in the religion could say that their morals come from the teachings at sermons, family bible studies, or the overall way their parents helped put God into their lives.
“Overall, 45% of U.S. adults say that religion was very important to their family when they were growing up,” says an article from Pew Research Center. “Looking just at people who were raised as Christians, half say religion was very important to their family when they were children, including 49% of those raised Protestant and 51% of those raised Catholic.”
“Growing up, anytime I had an issue my mom would try to help me from a Godly point,” Hershberger said. “I think this has shaped my morals a lot because I grew up knowing Christian values, so now it’s harder to feel okay with breaking those values.”
While growing up in the Christian church can be beneficial to your faith and principals, there can also be problems caused from it. Some people who were raised in the church often find that they struggle with the question “Is it my faith or my parents?” On some accounts, it can cause a lot of people in the church to walk away from it. When it’s the belief one was born into, it can be hard to find individuality in the religion.
I sat down for an interview with Ari Dayton, a first year student at Boyce College.
“I think a lot of kids who grew up in the faith struggle a lot when you realize that you have only ever been in your parents faith and that now you need to find your own faith,” said Dayton.
“That was kind of a struggle because during that time I started to fall away. I still went to church but I never did anything with my faith. So it really became an ‘I am not going to church because my parents are making me, I have to go to maintain my faith and get a better understanding of who I am and who God is.’”
Some other struggles that raised Christians might face is if getting baptized or confirmed is something they want to do for themselves and not for their family. This can be a hard and confusing question for many people who are starting to find the faith away from their parents faith.
“When I was getting confirmed, I was really contemplating like ‘do I really want to do this?’,” says Cleveland State University first year student Daniel Wilson. “I thought it was so boring and wasn’t worth my time. It’s easier now because I feel like I’m choosing it more of my own faith and not just being forced.”
Growing up religious can have many positive attributes for some who have continued to live it out. Being raised Christian affects the way that you view religion, God, the Bible and the world as a whole. For the people who were brought up religious and continued to stay true to what they believed in, the background of how they were raised can bring certain benefits in their faith that others may not have experienced.
“I’m very thankful for the faith that I was raised in because it definitely created the person who I am today,” Dayton said. “and although I’ve dealt with a lot of struggles in my life with sin and other things, I have always been able to come back to my faith and it’s just wonderful to have.”
Finding the faith on your own terms
There are always people that have come to know God as their creator and sidestepped their parents’ beliefs. When you come to find God away from your parents, you will have a completely different experience than those who have always been in the faith. To some, coming to Jesus on your own terms has many benefits in comparison to being raised with Him.
I sat down for an interview with Alex Cureton, a first year student at Southeastern University.
“At one point I started looking for my identity in all the wrong things and it would be satisfying for a minute, but after the time was up it would leave me feeling empty,” says Cureton. “Eventually I found that until Jesus is enough to satisfy me, nothing else will. After finding Him, I gained this hunger to be around Him more.”
When you discoverGod as a new Christian, it can feel like you’re on fire for Him. However, some people find themselves having a rough time navigating the lifestyle of the religion especially without the help of those whose parents are non-believers. Choosing to seek out God can be difficult when your family doesn’t appreciate your choices.
“When I first got baptized, I didn’t tell my family about it and that caused a huge problem later,” says Cureton. “But I feel like it was the right time for me because it was completely unplanned. Like, I had showed up to service not expecting it but as service went on I felt God moving my heart telling me it was time. It was the greatest decision I ever made.”
Even without help from a believing family, you can find strong support in local church communities and groups. Churches can provide welcoming communities where you can learn to live out your faith and walk with God how you need.
“Get connected with a local church. Find a community that pushes towards Christ because God always meant for us to do this life with each other.” Cureton says. “Even in the Garden that wasn’t His plan, so get connected and continue to seek Christ.”
Leaving and returning
Sometimes people who were raised in the church grow older and end up leaving the religion that they had always known. Some choose atheism or agnosticism, but for others they later find themselves back in the religion that deep down felt right for them.
I sat down for an interview with Neveah McCune, a senior at GlenOak high school.
“I was raised Christian and fell out when I was a preteen, but I found it again last year,” says McCune. “When you’re out of faith for so long, it’s incredibly difficult to get back into. I wish I would have told myself to keep pushing through because it’s so worth it.”
Coming back to the faith is a personal decision that shouldn’t be swayed or determined by anyone else. When you leave the church and come back, it can be hard to get back in the groove of the religion and one can find themselves filled with questions they didn’t have before. However, the questions are what help to find faith properly and on personal terms.
“I think social media for a lot of people tends to have a bad reputation with people’s faith because it’s so good at manipulation, so when I came back I had a lot of questions,” says McCune.
“Don’t listen to people who are trying to bring you down. If you have questions, talk to God, your pastors, or people deep in faith to answer your questions. If people are trying to make you believe one way or another, stick to your personal faith and don’t let it falter because of something that someone has to say.”
If you follow the word of Christ, you are called to love Him and uphold Him to the highest degree. Becoming Christian has no age limit as one can still love and honor Him just the same. The way someone can come to their faith will never determine how faithful they are.