Just Ask A Question

We talk a lot. And we talk about some of the strangest things. We talk about our kids. (Okay, mine are strange…not yours) J We talk about the weather. We talk about sports. This weekend is the OU/Texas game. I could say a lot about that! I can spend hours talking about characters from TV shows. How strange is that? To argue and discuss the decisions of people who don’t really exist, living lives that never really happened, doing things that don’t really make any difference at all! And don’t even get me started on ‘reality TV’! We talk about some strange things. Brittney Spears is in the news again. O.J’s done something else. There is an abundance of talk radio, talk shows, everything is talk, talk, talk…you would think with all this talk someone would have something important to say.

Oddly enough, it seems most people don’t. Yet still, we can’t seem to keep our mouths shut! And honestly, we shouldn’t. What’s that they say? Communication is the key to any good relationship. I believe that…sort of. As a music guy I’ve heard people say, “Practice makes perfect.” But that’s not really true. Perfect practice makes perfect. If you practice incorrectly then eventually you’ll play or sing incorrectly. It’s not enough to repeat the same musical phrase over and over again if every time you repeat it you keep doing it wrong. If that kind of repetition characterizes your practice you might as well hum quietly to yourself. The effect will be about the same.

The same is true for our conversations. Communication is the key to any good relationship, but communication is not enough. It has to be good communication. What are you saying to your friends and family? What questions do you ask? What is the content of your conversation? Are we stuck on the, “Hey, how are ya’s and what’s the weather like in your world?” Or do you ever attempt to ask a question that digs a little deeper? When someone offers a response that’s out of the ordinary do you close down the conversation quickly in order to escape the awkward moment or do you recognize an opportunity to minister grace into someone’s life?

I wonder how your world would change if occasionally you inserted into your everyday conversations questions like:

·         “What’s God been doing in your life lately?”

·         “Has God answered any of your prayers recently?”

·         “How have you seen God at work in your world today?”

·         “Did you read that verse from the daily Bible readings yesterday? God really used that verse in my life. Did He use it in yours?”

·         “Did you catch Pastor’s message? What did you think about what he said about confession?”

 

STOP – DISLAIMER

I have a concern that we’ve institutionalized our spirituality. It could easily appear that we’ve so packaged the gospel, the church and everything religious or spiritual that conversations started by questions like this come across as an attempt to ‘sell’ the church, ‘promote’ a ministry event or ‘persuade (evangelize)’ a non-believer into our way of thinking. Asking questions like those above may result in someone who is lost getting saved or someone who is outside the church coming in, but that’s not really the only point. Conversations about God at work in your life should be as common as talk about the news, sports or the weather – not for the sake of anything or with any ulterior motives but because it’s simply a part of what’s going on in your neck of the woods. In other words what’s in you is what comes out. It’s what you talk about.

There’s never a bad time for a good question and the content of our conversation can be turned so easily from that which is passing to that which is eternal. With your family, friends and coworkers take some time this week to discuss more than the weather.

 

Love y’all, God Bless,

Chad