Growing up without Christ is extremely difficult. As a child and a teenager, I did not grow up knowing Christ. When I was in Bible college, the majority of my peers had been brought up in Christian homes, and they were taught about Christ from a very early age, whereas I was brought up with a secular, worldly view rather than a knowledge of Christ.
The act of growing up without Christ affects a person and can cause an individual to grow up believing erroneous things about others, themselves, and God.
Dangers of Growing Up Without Christ
Growing up without Christ affected not only me but also my two older sisters. My mother was a born-again Christian, yet my father was not a believer. While my mother was a Christian, she did not have a firm understanding of the Bible.
My sisters and I were taught many unbiblical teachings growing up, including astrology. With a high emphasis placed upon astrological signs rather than one’s identity in Christ, it can lead young people to believe many incorrect things about themselves.
I know my mother loved the Lord and that she placed faith in Him, yet the emphasis in our household on astrology caused me to suffer from major self-hatred.
Instead of being able to communicate my feelings and emotions, my mother would blame my emotions, sadness, or depression on the argument that “Pisces are simply too emotional.” I do not endorse astrology as it is not biblical, and God clearly condemns it (Deuteronomy 18:10-14).
Growing up with an emphasis placed on astrology caused me to view myself in a negative light and caused my mother to misplace my feelings as simply traits of being a “Pisces.” In retrospect, now, I can see the damage that astrology caused in my relationship between my mother and me.
My mother was a “Leo” according to astrological charts; therefore, a Leo and a Pisces are not compatible with relationships. My mother was keen to remind me of this belief many times a day. I remember at one point my mother telling me she wished I had been an Aquarius instead of a Pisces.
In other words, from my mother’s words, she wished I was a different person. As one can imagine, being told this as a teenager can negatively impact the way you see yourself and others.
According to my mother and her excessive reading of horoscopes, as a Pisces, I was doomed to a lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and suicide.
Friend, if you grew up in a home that taught you horoscopes and astrology, I’m going to tell you now that the date of your birth does not define who you are, nor can it predict your future. The only person who defines you is Christ — not an astrological sign.
Moreover, only God knows the future — not any astrological books, articles, or podcasts. God made you uniquely you and there is no one else like you in the entire world (Psalm 139:13-16). You are God’s special masterpiece, and He has a unique purpose for your life that only you can fulfill.
When one grows up without Christ and without knowing their identity in Christ, it can cause one to be fed much information that is false, and it can ultimately cause a great deal of emotional damage.
As in my case, my sisters and I grew up with the idea that your identity is placed in your astrological sign rather than Christ, which affected all of us profoundly as children and teenagers.
Now that we each know Christ, we know that our identity is only found in Him and in what He says about us.
In your own personal situation, you may not have grown up with the emphasis placed upon astrology, yet you may have grown up with the idea that your worth is based on your productivity, your appearance, or your success.
Growing up without Christ can cause any of us to start seeking out our self-worth in any of these things and this, in turn, causes us to never stop striving and working to portray our “worth” to the world, our parents, or our friends.
As an individual, you already have inherent worth because you are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). You are already completely worthy because you know Christ as the Bible tells us we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).
Despite the teachings of worry, our worth is not found in an astrological sign, our achievements, our appearance, or anything else — our worth is only found in Christ.
Knowing Christ Later in Life
Even though I did not grow up in a Christian home and I did not grow up with a knowledge of the Bible, I am eternally grateful for coming to know Christ in my late teens and learning more about him throughout Bible college and seminary.
With my prior background of growing up without knowing Christ, I have been able to help understand unbelievers in ways that many of my Christian peers who were brought up in Christian homes cannot understand.
Whether you placed faith in Christ at an early age or you accepted Him later in life, know that you are equally valuable and dearly loved by God. It is also freeing to know that your life and value as a person are not found in an astrological sign, your success, or your appearance, but only in Christ.
Simply because a person grew up without Christ does not mean they will never accept Him as their Savior and Lord. As I have shared, I grew up with an unbiblical worldview, and I still came to know Christ as my Savior and Lord.
If you have grown up without Christ, too, you know about the dark void that was within your soul each day. You felt like you were missing something or someone but didn’t know what or who until you came to know Christ.
When we accept Christ and become a believer, the dark void in our hearts becomes filled with the love of Jesus and the assurance of salvation.
As children and teenagers, my sisters and I often felt this void in our hearts, yet none of us could articulate what it was that we were missing. Now in retrospect, we know the one thing that was missing was Christ.
Without knowing Christ, one can easily fill this void with other things, such as hedonism, drugs, or alcohol. It is a dangerous business to live without Christ, which is why it is vitally important for us to help others know Christ, especially children, teens, and young adults.
As Christians, God calls us to take the gospel to all people, which includes individuals of all ages and backgrounds (Matthew 28:18-20).
You would be surprised at how far a little kindness, support, and love can go in the life of a child, teen, or young adult who doesn’t live in a Christian home or environment.
Every single person wants to know that they are loved and valued, and the truth is that every person is loved and valued by God. Helping others know this can be the catalyst to change in another person's life.
Why Does This Matter?
If you grew up without Christ, think about what you wished someone would have told you when you were a child, teen, or young adult.
For me, personally, I would have wanted someone to tell me that I was loved as I was, that I was worthy because God made me and that God would always be by my side even if nobody else was there.
In your own life, try to be this positive voice speaking truth, life, and love into other people’s lives. Your compassion and kindness can go a long way, especially with someone who does not know Christ.
For further reading:
Can Children Truly Understand the Bible?
What Does the Bible Mean by Children of God?
Is There a Prayer for Salvation? How Is One Saved?
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/aldyrkhanov
