Asking The Right Questions

Probably the biggest hindrance to men making the right biblical decisions in their lives, right after not having a sufficient knowledge of Scripture, is that they too often ask the wrong question. As a result they end up with answers that fit the question they are asking rather than answers that fit the question that they should be asking.

An example of a wrong question might be, "How do I get a newer (or faster or prettier or flashier or more economical) car?" The right question is "What does God want me to do and how will he help me get where I need to be to do it?"

Much of the difficulty we face in life is the result of making decisions based on answers to the wrong question. Typically we frame a question so that regardless of the answer we get all or some part of what we want. We must learn to ask questions that center on what God wants. These questions generally result in tougher decisions, but also more God-glorifying ones.

A leader's agenda will be shaped by the answers to the questions he asks. We must learn to ask the right questions, even if those questions lead us to tough answers and tough decisions.

We know that growth involves change. But change itself involves either real loss or at least a sense of loss. This means if we are going to lead people in the direction of growth, they will inevitably have a sense of loss. They will be outside their "comfort zone." Our questions, then, must deal not simply with the necessity for change, but also with how to cope with the sense of loss that we know will be taking place in people's minds.

Leaders must understand that people are not resistant to growth; they are resistant to change. The question then becomes not "How can I convince people they need to grow," but "How can I help people deal with the sense of loss they will experience as they grow?"

REB