Reflection: The Questions He Never Felt Allowed to Ask

After a midweek church gathering, a few of us stayed behind where people relax a little, cups in hand, slices of cake on napkins, familiar faces chatting about everyday life. I sat near an older man I’ll call “Peter” and his wife “Anne.” Peter had been around the church for decades. He was well known, and, if I’m honest, someone who resisted change. But that day, he grew unusually quiet. Then he said something I didn’t expect: “I’ve been in church for most of my life… but I’m not sure what I actually believe. I’ve never really felt able to ask that out loud.” His wife overheard and, with a mix of surprise and humour, said, “You’ve never said that to me!” We all laughed, but Peter’s honesty stayed with me. There was nothing dramatic about it, no big scene, just a vulnerable confession from someone who had carried questions for a long time.

A week or two later, I visited them. We talked about God, about Jesus, about what the gospel actually is, and about the difference between attending church and trusting Christ. Peter admitted he had never really read much of the Bible, but he was willing to start somewhere. When we met again, he told me he’d worked through a short book that retells the story of Jesus in simple language. He wasn’t pretending anymore. He was beginning to rediscover faith.

It made me wonder how many people sit in our churches with similar questions, faithful in presence, but uncertain in belief, and how many have simply never been given space to ask.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 (NIV)

In Acts 17, Paul is preaching about Jesus. Some people reject him quickly, others respond emotionally, and some respond thoughtfully. The Bereans stand out for two reasons:

• First, they “received the message with great eagerness.” They were open. They didn’t shut down the moment something challenged them. They leaned in.

• Second, they “examined the Scriptures every day.” They didn’t treat faith as something you inherit, absorb by proximity, or outsource to a religious professional. They checked what they were hearing against God’s Word.

This is important. Christianity welcomes honest questions. The Bereans were not told, “Don’t ask.” They were not praised for blind acceptance. They were commended for testing the message carefully.

That is discipleship.

It is how faith becomes personal and rooted. God does not ask us to pretend. He invites us to come into the light, mind, heart, and life, and to let the truth about Jesus reshape us.

APPLICATION

Some of us have been around the church for a long time and still feel unsure about what we believe. That can be embarrassing, especially if people assume you’re “sorted” because you’ve been present for years. But being present is not the same as being grounded.

If that’s you, you are not alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck.

• Start by giving yourself permission to ask honest questions before God. A simple prayer might be, “Lord, help me understand who you are. Help me see Jesus clearly.”

• Then open the Bible. The Gospels, especially Mark or Luke, are a good place to begin because they show you Jesus. Read a small section each day. Don’t rush. Ask, “What does this show me about Jesus? What is he like? What is he calling people to trust?”

• It also helps to speak your questions out loud to someone safe. A mature Christian, a pastor, or a trusted friend. Not someone who will shame you, but someone who will walk with you. Faith often grows best in honest conversation, not in performance.

And if you are someone who has been a Christian for years, this passage challenges us, too.

Are we creating the kind of church environment where people can ask?

Where can someone say, “I’m not sure,” and be met with patience rather than panic?

Where we open Scripture together, not to win arguments, but to meet Christ?

Sometimes the people we label as “difficult” or “resistant” are not obstacles at all. They may be people who were never discipled well, never invited into the basics, never shown how to read the Bible, never given permission to wrestle and grow. What looks like hardness may actually be years of uncertainty hidden behind habit.

Jesus is not only for those who feel confident and clear.

He is for the questioning, the quiet, the unsure, the long-time churchgoer who has never known where to begin. He does not despise small beginnings. He welcomes seekers, and he forms disciples over time.

The invitation is this: bring your questions into the light, open the Scriptures, and look again at Christ. The greatest story ever told is not about our performance; it is about Jesus, who meets us patiently and leads us into truth.