What If we asked more questions?

I was talking with my friend Rodger a couple of days ago and he shared with me about how God did some amazing things in a church he had pastored and how he longed to see those things happen again. I went back with him in my mind as he described how a young lady accepted Christ in get acquainted fellowships and how when she expressed her desire to accept Christ that others raised their hands and said they to wanted to make that decision. He and his staff were just blessed at the experience that had no explanation except God moved. I have been thinking about that ever since.

How well I remember sitting in my office shortly after being called to my first full time pastor position and thinking, “I am the pastor of University Baptist Church… and I do not have a clue what to do.” Oh, I new I had to be prepared to preach twice on Sunday and have a Bible study ready for Wednesday night but I had been doing that for some time. Now I was the full time pastor. Where was the church going? Who were we going to reach? How do you get people to come? What are they going to expect to be here if they do come? How were we going to make a difference in people’s lives? How were we going to impact the community around us? My life at that point seemed to be one big question after another and I did not have any answers. If I had really thought about it at that time it would have scared me to death. But it seemed that all I knew to do was to follow up on things that God put in my path. Someone would visit the church and I would go to their house and visit. Someone would be moving and I would take a couple of guys and help them move. Some one would look sad and I would ask what was wrong? When I would visit with people I had no agenda. In fact I really did not know what I was doing. So when you don’t know what you are doing it seemed to me that the best thing to do was to ask questions. I remember sitting for long periods of time and just ask questions about peoples lives and what was going on with them. I loved it. I was constantly amazed at people’s journeys. When you don’t have answers you tend to ask questions.

I wonder when I got so smart? Now I really don’t think I am so smart, but I know some where along the line I have quit asking so many questions and started answering questions and offering my opinion a whole lot more and it seems like I have seen a lot less of God working. I think God likes to be around more when there are questions than when we think we have the answers.

I think I will try to get back to asking questions.