Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.
Jesus has done the long race of life before us. Through the shame of the cross, he has turned everything upside down. In losing, we win. In letting go our own goodness or ego needs, we gain everything. We discover that Easter and the promise of new life is stronger than any dyings or losses we have to go through. We discover that when even when things don’t make sense, God is with us, and there is hope.
Asking good questions is a gift. I’m not thinking about the questions we ask that are designed to put others down or reveal their shortcomings. Those aren’t life-giving. If you are having difficulty with someone, try and actually talk about the frustration, rather than just ask snarky questions. A good question can help you or others see the bigger picture, or at least focus on what is vital about an issue. The right question can help to direct the discussion in good channels.
There are also the questions that don’t have an immediate answer. ‘Why is this happening to me, Lord? What are you trying to teach me or show me, that I am not getting?” I call these ‘God-blessed’ questions. Asking these sorts of questions open us up to a deeper experience of God’s grace and mercy. They are prayers that invite the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, and for us to become more aware of that working. Even asking a not so good question isa good start. The right question will emerge later. God’s grace and mercy usually take time to show themselves.
Life is not one constant sugar faith hit after another, so ask the questions, and allow them time to reveal what they are about, and where God is at work in them.
