When Your Son's Faith Feels Distant... But God is Still Near!!

In this episode:

When His Faith Feels Distant… But God Is Still Near
Teen Years • College Years • Adult Years

There is an ache that comes when your son’s faith doesn’t look the way it used to.

In this episode of the Mom of Sons Podcast – Faith Conversations, Beverly Taylor Wells speaks to mothers navigating the emotional and spiritual weight of their son's faith, feeling distant, from the teen years to the college years, and even into adulthood.

This episode is a reminder that what you planted in the early years still matters… and God is still working.

Also:

🎯 The Training Ground Segment For Moms with sons(Ages 7–11): The Technology Tightrope
Why setting boundaries and healthy limits are important.

Blog: momsofsons.blog

You were chosen for this!
                              ~ Beverly Taylor Wells, Mom of Sons

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Welcome back to the Mom of Sons podcast, Faith Conversations. And welcome to any moms that it's your first time being with us today. Mom of Sons Podcast is a place where we encourage and support mothers raising sons through every season of motherhood. I'm your host, Beverly Taylor Wells. And today's podcast topic is when your son's faith feels distant, but God is still near. So today's conversation is for the moms whose heart might feel a little heavy because somewhere along the journey, her son's faith doesn't feel or look like it once did. Whether he's a teen, a college student, or a grown man finding his own way. This episode is for you. Because even when his faith feels distant, God is still near. So let's get into it. Um, there's a unique kind of ache that comes when you've raised your son um in the Lord and to trust the Lord and have faith, and then you begin to notice or see a shift or change, not rebellion, um always, but distance, and it can happen in phases. In the teen years, it can look like resistance in um those college years, it can look like independence, in the adult years, it can look like silence or disconnection, and as a mom, you're left holding on to one question: God, are you still working in his life? And the answer is always, always yes. So in the teen years, it can feel like a pulling away. Um most of the time, or a lot of the time, the teen years is where the shift often begins because your son um starts questioning, he starts resisting, and he starts forming his own opinions at that age, and sometimes that does include um pulling back from the Lord. Um, moms, I just want to encourage you to have your pen and pencil today and your Bible because we're gonna cover a lot of scripture because the topic that we're talking about today requires a lot of God's meat, which is his word. That is our sword, that is our weapon, how we fight these spiritual battles, and uh the word of God is truth. So the first scripture that we're gonna talk about is Proverbs 22 and 6. And it says, train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. So that that means to me in my heart that you know your son may step away for a minute, he might become distant to God, but he is going to return to his first love, which is the Lord. He's going to return. So that's what that scripture means to me. He he might be a little distant, but he is definitely going to come back to the Lord. So, moms, this is where you have to trust the foundation, the faith foundation that you have helped build and strengthen and plant and nurture in your son. Because what looks like distance is often the beginning of him deciding what he believes for himself. Our next scripture is Isaiah 55 and eleven. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and I shall prosper, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Excuse me. So every prayer, moms, that you've prayed, every scripture that you've spoken is still working. God is still working because his word does not come back empty, his word goes out and it accomplishes what it is sent out to do. Let's just let that resonate with us for a minute. So then moving on to the college years, and I call this the testing of faith, because maybe now your son is 18 um or 19, and maybe he is away at college, and this is really where your faith gets tested. Because you know, your son is experiencing a new environment, new influences, new freedoms, um, new people, and you're no longer there to guide um his decisions, and you're not there to see what goes on in his day-to-day because maybe he's away at um at college. So Joshua one and nine says, have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Moms, God went with him. He went with your son. He's with your son in that dorm room, in those classrooms, in every decision that he's navigating. God is right there with him. And Isaiah 54 and 13 says, All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. Now, moms, I feel like this is definitely we're gonna have the peace too. Not just our children, but we are going to have it because we are gonna stand on God's word, we are gonna trust him, we are gonna entrust our sons to him, and we are gonna believe the word of the Lord. So we are gonna experience peace in this season, and just know that God is teaching your son things right now that you cannot. So just rest in the knowledge and the peace that God has got your son in the palm of his hand. And in the adult years, I call this the waiting season. Because now we're talking about sons that are older than twenty. Maybe your son's in his twenties, in his thirties, or even in his forties. He's grown, grown. Maybe he doesn't talk about God, maybe he doesn't attend church, and maybe he seems just spiritually disconnected. And this is where many moms quietly grieve. But this is not a hopeless season, this is a waiting season. Philippians one and six says, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Oh, that gives me so much peace and hope because God's word is telling me that everything that I started with my son, from baby boy being from age zero to six, when you're giving all those hugs and all that love and those kisses, and you're telling him Jesus loves him, and you're singing um little Christian songs to him, and you're reading the word of God, and you're speaking affirmations over him, and then you're as he gets a little bit older, then he's involved in Sunday school, and um maybe he's a youth usher, and or maybe he sings in the youth choir, and you're just steady reading the word of God to him and teaching him scripture. All of those things that you are planting in him, and you're strengthening faith, and you're nurturing faith, and you're planting faith. This scripture, Philippians one and six, tells me to be confident of this: that he who began a good work, and when God has begun a good work in our sons from the beginning, with us introducing our sons to his sons, this scripture tells me that God is going to complete the good work that he started, and I have confidence in that, and I have trust in that. In Isaiah 49 and 25. This is what the Lord says, that's what the scripture says, that's how it starts off. This is what the Lord says. Prisoners will be freed from mighty men, loot will be taken away from tyrants, I will fight your enemies, and I will save your children. I tell you, that is uh, that is so powerful, and that is confirmation that God has our sons, that he has them in the palm of his hand. This is why it is so vital, and it is never too early to introduce our son to his son. Honestly, that is just so powerful. Please let that let that just sink into your spirit and into your heart. It is never too early to introduce your son or sons to his son. Just know, moms, God is not finished with your son by any means. He is still working, he is still protecting, he is still blessing, and he is still writing our son's story. Now, before we go any further, I want to step into a space that we call here at Mom of Sons the Training Ground. This segment is specifically for moms raising younger sons ages 7 to 11. This is the season where we're not just raising boys, we're training future young men, and it's where habits are formed, boundaries are established, and character and moral discernment are being taught. Because what we build here will carry into the teen years, the college years, and on into adulthood. So let's step into today's training ground topic: the technology tight rope. So, moms, in the training ground season, um, this is for you. We're gonna take a moment, and I want to just talk specifically to you about the technology tightrope. Um, we're raising sons in a very digital world, and between the ages of 7 and 11, they are being introduced to screens, devices, and influences earlier than ever before. Um, this is not a passive season, this is a training season because technology is not supposed to be an enemy, but without guidance and boundaries, it can become one because our boys are being exposed to fast content, constant entertainment, subtle messages that shape how they think. And in this season, this is where you set boundaries with clarity and love, monitor what your son is exposed to, and you teach him why discernment matters. You're not just limiting excess, you're teaching him how to guard his heart because one day you won't be there to filter everything, but what you teach him now will speak to him later. First Corinthians 15 and 33. Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character. And today, company is not just who they sit next to, it's what they watch, what they scroll, and what they absorb. And Proverbs 4 and 23 says, Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. So, moms, there is absolutely nothing wrong with setting those boundaries with love, setting limitations, saying, Hey, you can um spend 45 minutes to an hour on your game or on your computer or on your iPad, and then we're gonna go do something. You are gonna read a book. Um, if it's a nice day, we're gonna go for a walk or we're gonna ride our bikes, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with setting healthy boundaries and even setting limits, and of course, monitoring what your son is looking at and being exposed to on his iPad or his computer or what type of game he's playing. So, in these times and days, you have to pay attention to everything, it's vital because even um for teens, um, in the teen years we're with this topic, um, there's nothing wrong with setting healthy boundaries in love and even monitoring and taking a look at what your teen is looking at, or um what kind of games he's playing. And it's nothing wrong with teaching him about discernment and guarding his heart. So it's just nothing, it's nothing wrong with being an alert and on top of things parent. So now we're going to transition back into our main topic. We're gonna come out of the training ground, and moms, just take a deep breath because everything that we've talked about, the influences, the distractions, the digital noise, um, it's a lot, but none of it is greater than God's ability to reach your son. Not in the teen years, not in the college years, not even in the adult years. Because even in a world that's full of noise, God still knows how to speak clearly. And when your son, even when your son's faith feels distant, God is still near. So, mom to mom, whether your son is in your house or on a college campus, or an adult living on his own. I know what it feels like when his faith doesn't look like it used to. But hear this: your son is being pursued by the Lord. Even when he steps back, God steps closer. When he is silent, God is speaking, and even when you don't see any results, God is working. Now, moms, you know, I never end a podcast without going to the throne. So um if you're driving, we understand we want you to be safe, whatever you may be doing right now. Washing the dishes or fixing dinner or just relaxing and listening. Let's all just settle our hearts and minds and let's go to the throne together. Father God, I lift up every mother that is listening today. You see our sons in every season, God, teen, college, and adult. Lord, when his faith feels distant, remind us that you are still near. Draw our sons back to you. Speak to their hearts, protect their minds, and guard their path, Father. Give each mother peace in the waiting, strength in the unknown, and faith to trust that you are still writing her son's story. In Jesus' name. Amen. Moms, if this episode blessed you, I want to gently encourage you, please take a moment to like or leave a comment. And if you don't feel led to comment, even a simple like lets me know that it reached your heart today. If you feel led, I would truly love to hear your story. And you can email me at momsofsons25 at gmail.com. That's momsofsons twenty five at gmail.com. And also, I'm always looking for moms who would like to share their motherhood journey and be a guest here on the podcast. So if that's you, please email me. I want to connect with you so we can make that happen. And as always, um, don't forget to visit the blog at momsofsons.blog where we continue these conversations and pour into mothers raising sons through every season of motherhood. And I'm excited to always share the Mom of Sons devotional series that's available on Amazon. These devotionals were created to walk with you through every season of motherhood, no matter which season of motherhood you're in. The early years, the growing years, the teen years, and even the adult years, which is for the adult son. It is a stand-alone devotional. So it doesn't matter what season of motherhood you're walking in, these devotionals are companions that were created to encourage you and support you while you're covering your son in prayer and scripture and faith. So until next time, moms, this is Beverly Taylor Wells reminding you you were chosen for this. Keep praying, keep trusting God, and keep raising those sons with faith.