Asking Right Questions

Here's something for light reading. I'll try to work on something more "serious" next week.

Everything in life begins with an idea, big or small. Idea passes through our minds all the time. What we do with it can make a whole world of difference. TO turn ideas into realities, we'll need to probe, to query, to ask a series of questions. Not just any questions but the right questions. Wrong questions get you wrong answers. Right questions give you right answers. For instance, Sir Issac Newton. One day an apple fell onto his head. Instead or reacting with an "OUCH" he responded with a "WHY". And that simple question led him to discover the Law of Gravity!

Asking right questions! How vital! Allow me to suggest to you why you and I need to ask the right question ...

1. Asking RIGHT questions releases POTENTIAL. Ever had the occasion of encountering an enormous task? Sure you have. You'll be happy to know that ... "A man can do what he cannot do when he has to do it" ... i.e. if he/she learns to ask the right questions. Jesus wanted to feed the crowd of 5000 to the disbelief of His disciples. Knowing their doubts, Jesus asked ... "How many loaves do you have". Was that a good question? Maybe not if it was you or me who did the asking. What difference does it make. We're talking here 5000 men alone not counting the womwn and children. BUT here, who was asking? The SON OF GOD! The One who created the universe! The One who made something out of nothing! Suddenly it dawned on them WHO they were working with! The question Jesus asked was revelational. It helped them to understand who Jesus actually was and that as long as they are with Him, nothing is impossible! One right question and it revealed the potential they never imagined they had.

2. Asking RIGHT questions releases POSSIBILITIES. Another one of Newtons Laws states, "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". In other words, a stick has two ends. Dig it? On one end you may have a challenge in life (we all do) but don't forget on the other end there is a possible solution. You just have to ask the right questions. Take a test here. Say you have a problem and you "see no road" (read that in Cantonese). Take a piece of paper and start listing down (imaginatively) ten possible things you can do (assuming you have limitless resource)to fix that problem. Walla! You'll be surprised at the list of possibilities.

3. Asking RIGHT questions releases SOLUTIONS to problems. A woman came to her pastor for counseling. She was determined to divorce her husband. As she was talking the pastor finally asked a series of questions. "Does he gets drunk? Does he refuses to work? Does he gamble away his money? Does he physically abuse you? Does she run around with other woman? Is he a homosexual? A narcotic addict? TO all these questions she answered "No". Then the pastor advised,"Be careful before you divorce him. I know a hundred lonely women who will run after him as soon as you let him go". After thinking a while, she replied, "Come to think of it, he's not such a bad person after all". Case closed.

When Jesus asked Peter 3 times on one single occasion "Peter, do you love me?", Peter was upset because twice before he had answered "Yes Lord, I love You". Why do you think Jesus asked Peter 3 times the same question? It's not a foolish question because Jesus always ask the right questions. So? Give it a thought. God bless.