QUESTIONS

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him. “The Son of David” – Mathew 22:41-42

QUESTIONS enhance Reflections! Life is full of questions. Questions abound everywhere: some vital, others trivial; some philosophical, others practical. What must I do with my life? What will tomorrow bring? Where do I need changes in life? How can I bring up my children to turn out right? Besides philosophical and practical questions, questions concerning our spiritual lives and eternal implications also beg for answers. How can I be sure that I am saved? When I die will I go to heaven? Why does God allow sufferings and tragedy to exist on the earth? The common element to most questions in life is that we can search for the answers. We can try to find the answers ourselves or we can surrender the questions and believe to find answers from the One who knows it all – GOD!

The Lord Jesus Christ often responded differently to questions that were asked to entangle Him, such as those of the Pharisees, and questions that were asked with genuine motives to know (vv.15-17). Quite often however, the answers are subsumed in the questions. Wisdom comes through deliberate and diligent asking, seeking, and enquiring from the Lord: “ASK, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matt. 7:7). James 1:5-6 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ASK of God, that gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

The Bible is replete with questions, and our Lord Jesus Christ, in particular, often passed across the deepest lessons in life by asking questions. For example, He asked two eternal questions, ““For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” We need to consistently and periodically ponder, ask and ascertain answers to fundamental questions that are vital to our temporal existence and eternal destination. God is willing to offer us the answers of life but we need to seek and search: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter (Pro. 25:2). David knew this secret of asking questions: “And David ENQUIRED at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all (2 Sam. 30:8).

Pondering on life’s basic questions is a worthy exercise that will drastically transform your thinking, mentality and entire life; if you approach it with the right attitude. It is not meant to be a light and trivial affair that you skim through in brief minutes. Your life is worth taking the time to pray, think, and plan about in specific and detailed terms. This is the one and only life you have! You wouldn’t have a second chance to come back and make amends. No doubt you will want to make the most of this one life, no matter how far you’ve already gone in it. Some people plan their businesses better than they do their lives. It will pay you to look at your life from a business perspective. Assume that your life is a business venture, and the only one at that. You have no alternative than to make it come out fruitful and successful.

If this were so, you’ll need to take stock regularly. How will you ensure the venture called ‘Life’ does not end in shame, disaster and defeat? Wisdom demands that you take accurate inventory of Life by asking the Right Questions. In this season of reflections, you must answer life’s greatest questions, particularly those that relate to Identity, Purpose, Calling, Location, Direction, Potential, Plans, and Priorities.