Being a devoted Christian is hard enough when the people who are raising you are devoted Christians, but being devoted to Christ and following His Word becomes a whole new challenge when your parents aren't doing the same. Having parents who don't support your spiritual choice (or even if they do) tend to comment and mock it is something that no Christian child, teen or adult, should have to deal with. Even if they can stand their parents comments and jokes, it slowly puts a hole in their relationship. This is especially hard for children and teens, because they are still struggling to learn how to live for God while managing school, family, and a social life.
My parents aren't Christians, but I am, and that has caused a sort of tension every time I go to church on Sunday or when I read something in my Bible that just speaks to me and I want to share it with them. There are times when they listen and seem to actually take in what I'm sharing, but other times, they just nod their heads and change the subject. They've made comments that get under my skin, even though I know they shouldn't, like, "You're the religious one, so pray for luck." Or, when I go to church, they will say something like, "Go be religious," and these comments can be very hard to hear. Knowing that your parents don't believe and knowing where that will lead them is something that's very hard to swallow.
But having parents that aren’t followers of Christ can sometimes have a positive effect on a Christian. They can use what they're learning to witness to their parents, younger siblings, and others in their family. I know for me, sometimes I feel closer to God and more connected when I’m with my family and in my neighborhood, because I know God is trying to use me to get to them. He's moving through me in order to reach them, and even if I don’t see it with my parents, I see it with my younger brother.
Some kids rebel against their parents and God, because that's all they grew up hearing, but kids who grow up with non-Christian parents can feel their faith growing stronger the more their parents are against them. They're rebelling against what their parents believe, think, and feel. because they know it's the right choice for them and they know God has a plan for everyone.
For those who have parents that aren't believers and may discourage you from your faith, I just want to encourage you not to give up. God is working in them and in others through you. The Bible says, in John 13:35, that everyone will know us by our love, so we have to show it to everyone, no matter who they are or how they might react. We are called to reach out to those who aren't followers and love those who persecute us, even if that person is our parent.
