Got Questions?

Got questions?

You should. I know I do. I have way more questions than I have answers. That is a good thing. Someone who has run out of questions, has stopped learning.

As soon as we start to believe we know all we need to know, our minds begin to dull and lose the ability to retain knowledge. The human mind is an amazing thing with great ability to store huge amounts of information. Like anything else, it needs on going use to remain sharp. Let your arm hang by your side for a couple of weeks and don’t use it and see what happens. It will become weaker, less mobile, less flexible, less useful. The mind is the same way. If we don’t keep it engaged and thinking and growing, it too will become weaker, less mobile, less flexible, less useful.

So ask questions. If you don’t know something, ask someone. If you aren’t sure, ask. Seek knowledge, understanding. Grow in capacity. Expand your creativity. Discover new horizons. See things in a new light, a fresh perspective. Think. Learn.

This is discipleship. What did Jesus do? He opened people’s eyes to new things and took them to greater heights of understanding. As He led the disciples, He taught them to think and to learn. The way Jesus prepared Peter, James, John, and the others to impact the world was by preparing them to never stop. Never stop asking questions. Never stop seeking truth. Never stop finding answers.

The average 4 year old asks 400 questions a day. This probably does not surprise parents, especially those who currently have a 4 year old. There is no question that a person’s greatest capacity to learn is when they are young. One way this is accomplished is by asking questions. Kids ask questions. Much to the annoyance of adults some times. We should be more tolerant of their questions as we realize they are just trying to learn; something we should greatly encourage and not suppress. In fact, we could take a cue from kids and begin to ask more questions ourselves.

The keys to effectively asking questions:

1. Think about the question and word it well to get the most complete answer you can. Know the question before you open your mouth to ask or begin the search
2. Ask the right person or look in the right place for the answer
3. LISTEN to the answer to its completion. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone asks a question and then continues to keep talking or interrupts the answer with an argument or another subject. This indicates they really didn’t care about learning anything. They either just wanted to enter the conversation or they had their own agenda and the question was their way of inserting their view, opinion, or manipulation. If you are going to take the time to ask, take the time to hear the answer.
4. Think about the answer. Sometimes it is best to not respond immediately until you have processed it. This all is weighed on what’s appropriate for the question asked and answer given. Some things are minor and don’t need much thought to the answer, others require time to meditate on the answer.
5. Ask more questions. Follow up questions and clarity questions are vital for things in an answer that were not completely clear. Remember the goal is understanding and growth.
6. Keep asking questions/seeking answers - never stop.
7. Repeat all the steps above.

Got Questions?