Don’t Be an Expert—Be Available: Helping the Spiritually Curious Explore Faith

I still remember what it was like to be a new Christian and to constantly be asking, “So what does that mean?” I had come to faith as an adult convert and did not grow up with any significant exposure to Christianity. So when it came to the truths that have defined our faith for generations, I was a blank slate. General or special revelation, premillennialism or amillennialism, pneumatology or pneumonia—I had no clue.

But I had one thing going for me: I was curious.

I wanted to know more about who this God I now believed in. To better grasp what makes Christianity so different from all the other religions and worldviews out there. And what I discovered was—and is—a delight. Because what I discovered is that Christianity is a faith that invites our curiosity and our questions. And it welcomes them because it has good answers.

Its answers are meant to do more than satisfy our intellectual curiosity. They are meant to lead us into a life of devotion—to draw us toward the God who made us and reveals himself to us in the things he has made.

The Surprising Rebirth of Spiritual Curiosity

For years now, we’ve been inundated with bad news stories about the state of belief in the West. The “nones”—people who described themselves as being nothing in particular in religious surveys—were among the fastest-growing demographics in the United States. Trust in religious institutions is at an all-time low. Pastors are barely more trusted than lawyers by the general public.

But, despite all the doom-and-gloom, there is something exciting happening: a growing number of people—especially among teenagers and young adults—are becoming curious not just about spirituality in general, but about Christianity in particular. And many of these are like I was 20 years ago: They don’t know hardly anything about Christianity at all. They don’t know what makes us distinct from all the other religions and worldviews out there. They don’t know what we believe or why we believe it. But they have questions about God and the nature of humanity. About angels and demons and good and evil and so much more.

They’re looking for answers. They’re willing to discuss, investigate, and wrestle profound truths. They just need help knowing where to start. But more than that, they need guides.

They need people like you and me.

The Guides the Spiritually Curious Need

Now, that might sound intimidating. If it does, know that I get it. Many of us hear “guide” and think mentor or teacher. We need to be wise spiritual sages who have everything figured out and don’t struggle or doubt or have questions. People who aren’t like us because they aren’t like anyone. They are imaginary.

But you, my friend, are real. And you are what the spiritually curious need. They need people who may not have it all figured out but are curious. People who are willing to walk and wrestle alongside them. People who know that Christianity welcomes their questions because it has good answers. To be people who don’t tire of exploring because we can never fully plumb the depths of God.

To be people who delight in God—and are devoted to him.

This is the kind of guide the spiritually curious need. This is who God calls us to be. Let’s embrace it and see what God does.