When your children slip away from faith

For children growing up in a Christian household, belief in God often comes naturally, perhaps even automatically, simply because the parents believe. Yet there may come a time in adolescence or young adulthood when that choice becomes more conscious and intentional. Maybe they start to question their beliefs or fall away from the faith. Or maybe a teen becomes born again and begins a personal relationship with Jesus that wasn’t there before. 

Proverbs 22:6 says: “Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” But what if they do? Despite the best efforts of Christian parents, it’s not uncommon for older children to stray away from the faith. It can feel like tricky terrain to navigate a child’s growing independence when you are watching them walk away from the free gift of salvation. How should Christians handle it? I asked three parents of adult children about their experience.