{"id":239883,"date":"2024-06-16T14:37:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-16T19:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/?p=239883"},"modified":"2024-06-16T14:37:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-16T19:37:54","slug":"when-god-calls-you-in-for-questioning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/when-god-calls-you-in-for-questioning\/","title":{"rendered":"When God Calls You in for Questioning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by David Wheeler, Legacy Coalition Pastor\u2019s Division<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I write this, my father-in-law is firing up his rototiller in preparation for planting his huge garden\u2026and he\u2019s 98 years old. He and his 94-year-old wife, \u201cTootsie\u201d, have been married for 77 years and still live in their little farmhouse in north central Indiana\u2026just across the cornfield from the church where they were baptized about 74 years ago. They were recently released from home health care visitation because they are too healthy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, it\u2019s no surprise that every time we drive from Tennessee to Indiana for a visit, Cathy (my wife) asks lots of questions. She\u2019s the unofficial \u201cfamily historian\u201d and loves hearing the stories of her parents\u2019 early lives in the desperately poor mountains of east Tennessee where they were raised. Cathy has discovered that folks rarely tell stories unless they are asked questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sure do wish I\u2019d learned that secret earlier in life. My mom was a superb storyteller, but she died when I was 30 and my children were 1 and 3. So many untold and unheard stories were buried with her. My dad was a respected and successful minister and remained mentally sharp until he died at age 88\u2026but I didn\u2019t ask him enough questions. Our phone conversations were mostly filled with \u201cactivity reports\u201d\u2026much more \u201ctelling\u201d than \u201casking\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith Stories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When Cathy and I present the wonderful Seminario sobre la importancia de los abuelos<\/a>, we cover the 8 \u201cbest practices\u201d of intentional Christian grandparents. Practice #6 is \u201ctelling faith stories.\u201d That\u2019s different from Bible stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We certainly do want our grandchildren to know God\u2019s stories. Most of us purchase Bibles and Bible storybooks for our grandkids, to read with them when the opportunities arise. But our descendants also need to know OUR stories\u2026how our lives have intersected with God. That\u2019s our \u201cfaith story\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen someone dies, an entire library burns to the ground.\u201d<\/em> Please make sure that your stories are told with passion\u2026and perhaps even recorded in print or audio\u2026before your \u201clibrary\u201d is reduced to ashes. Companies like Storyworth<\/a> will help you write a book of your faith stories to be passed down through succeeding generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power of Questions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve learned that I can develop deeper relationships and closer connections by asking questions than by giving \u201clectures\u201d. James 1:19 informs us that \u201cEveryone should be quick to listen, slow to speak\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dale Carnegie published \u201cHow To Win Friends and Influence People\u201d in 1937 and made this statement: \u201cYou can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe that\u2019s the reason one of the most purchased resources on the Legacy Coalition website\u2019s store is the 3 versions of \u201cLet\u2019s Talk\u201d conversation cards<\/a>. These simple cards help both grandchildren and grandparents begin to tell stories to each other. Some of the stories will be silly\u2026and others will help transmit eternal values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answering Questions with Questions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A rabbi was asked: \u201cRabbi, why do you always answer a question with a question.\u201d He replied: \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Buchanan shares this insight in his book The Rest of God: \u201cNothing hooks us and pries us open quite like a question. You can talk all day at me\u2026and I can respond or not. But ask me one question, and I must answer or rupture our fellowship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our relationship with God is often composed of two parts: reading\/listening to His teachings and making requests of Him. Those requests often are offered as questions: e.g. \u201cWhy did You allow this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could it be that God will answer our questions with a question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions from God<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I often hear students say things like: \u201cI\u2019m seeking God\u2019s will\u2026I\u2019m waiting on a word from the Lord.\u201d I\u2019ve never heard a student say: \u201cI\u2019m waiting for a question from the Lord.\u201d That\u2019s too intimidating, isn\u2019t it? We\u2019re fearful of what He may ask us. As one believer stated: \u201cIn our denomination, we don\u2019t raise our hands. We\u2019re afraid God might call on us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, Scripture reveals that God is a wonderful question-asker. And it\u2019s not because He doesn\u2019t know the answers. He\u2019s not seeking answers as much as He is seeking connection. And, as stated earlier, questions draw us into deeper relationships. Here are just a few of God\u2019s questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • In the garden of Eden:\u00a0\u201cWhere are you?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWho told you that you were naked?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWhat is this you have done?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Job:\u00a0\u201cI will question you\u2026Where were you\u2026?\u201d\u00a0Dozens of questions follow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Moses:\u00a0\u201cWhat is that in your hand?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Elijah in a cave:\u00a0\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Isaiah:\u00a0\u201cWhom shall I send?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Jonah:\u00a0\u201cDo you have any reason to be angry?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To Ezekiel:\u00a0\u201cCan these bones live?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Jesus apparently inherited the question-asking trait from His Father:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • \u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d\u00a0\u201cDo you believe this?\u201d\u00a0\u201cDo you want to be healed?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWhy are you so afraid?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWhy did you doubt?\u201d\u00a0\u201cDo you still not understand?\u201d\u00a0\u201cAre you also going to leave?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWhat does Scripture say?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWho touched me?\u201d\u00a0\u201cDo you love me?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWhy do you call me Lord and not do the things I command?\u201d\u00a0\u201cWhere are your accusers?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Look back over those questions of Jesus. As you contemplate how you would respond to each question, don\u2019t you sense that a more intimate relationship would result?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Conclusi\u00f3n<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Now, let\u2019s examine how much time we spend talking TO our grandkids rather than asking questions and sincerely listening. Which path may lead to a more lasting and satisfying intimacy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Here\u2019s a wonderful question Jesus asked in Mark 10:51: \u201cWhat do you want me to do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How would you answer that question regarding your grandchildren and adult children? Aren\u2019t you glad He asked\u2026and that He intends to answer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      David Wheeler is a retired pastor and university professor. He and his wife, Cathy, have served Legacy Coalition since 2019 as presenters of the Grandparenting Matters seminar. They live in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains near their 5 grandchildren.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Our relationship with God is often composed of two parts:\u00a0reading\/listening to His teachings and making requests of Him.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":239886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-generational-living"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/When-God-Calls-You-in-for-Questioning.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239883"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239887,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239883\/revisions\/239887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legacycoalition.ca\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}