Jesus is amazing. Even as a 12 year old, he astonished others.
Today, we will continue to learn from the Master Counselor himself, Jesus.
Let’s look at another way Jesus taught us as a 12 year-old!
Jesus Asks Questions
In Part I, we marveled at the way Jesus listened to others with a humble heart and a non-judgmental spirit. Today, we’ll examine the way he asked questions.
Why are questions so important? Why can’t we just tell each other what to do? Here are a few benefits of asking questions:
- Questions create open dialogue
- Questions examine our hearts, attitudes, and motives
- Questions allow people time to respond less defensively
- Questions help us focus on God
- Questions lead to more positive and sustainable change
Here’s an example of one of the many kinds of questions Jesus asked: The solution focused question .
Thousands were following Jesus to hear his teachings – they had gone days without food and were hungry. Jesus, as always, had compassion and wanted them fed. He asked his disciples to feed them and they (like us) only saw the problems inherent in feeding so many. They focused on the problem (that would take a year’s wages!). Mark 5:37
Jesus on the other hand, focused on the solution. “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” – Mark 6:38
Jesus thinks solutions. Ask questions that take the future into consideration – future-focused questions that seek solutions.
Jesus considered the resources at hand . The disciples responded by finding five loaves and two fish. The rest was up to Jesus. Often if we simply think of our available resources and go after those area, Jesus can fill in the gaps. Think resources.
Resources like the family, friends, goals in our life, our past successes, our positive experiences, our values, and anything else that can provide insight to a solution.
Also the Church is an amazing community of many resources: wise counseling, sermons, breadth and depth of relationships, being “known” by many, the scriptures are trusted, Spirit of God inside each Christian, a non-judgmental environment, oversight, dreams, and hope.
So in helping each other, be like Jesus and think resources. Find a few loaves and a couple of fish and see what God can do with that. In Part III, we will continue this discussion on the ways Jesus asked questions to help others.
The church setting is the the perfect place for recovery. Learn how to set up a Disciples In Motion weekend visit with Tim. It includes many different opportunities for mental health trainings in the church setting. Click here for more information.
