Are There Any Questions?

Many times I neglect to ask if there are any questions during or after a Bible class. It is something that I forget about doing because I get so caught up in the lesson or because I go over time, like I do ever single class. I believe that I have only been asked one question during a class that I was attempting to teach, and I think that it was only concerning the definition of a word I used. It could be that my classes are so brilliantly put together and presented that I bring to light even the deepest, darkest recesses of whatever topic we are going over. There is on the other hand the slightest possibility that is not one hundred percent accurate and that what is really taking place is that I put everybody and their mother into a near comatose state after only five minutes and there is no one left who can physically ask a question. Whatever the case, maybe I feel that people as a whole are not as inquisitive as they should be. I am not really talking about those poor souls that I put to sleep every Sunday morning, I am talking about both those in the church and those in the world, people in general. We seem to be perfectly happy to be ignorant about anything and everything that takes place around us, as long as it does not have direct, immediate effect on us.

All Things

If it comes out of the mouth of a politician, preacher, or television show host it is golden, believe it, don’t question it, there is no need. Oh and don’t forget the internet. It is the greatest source for all things truthful that there is. There are very few people who would read that and even come close to taking it seriously, but when it comes to how we live our lives, it is the exact opposite. “My political idol only lies to people who do not agree with him, never me; my pastor/preacher wears a hallo and is, at the very least, semi-inspired; oh, and do not forget that late-night TV hero who directs my life in every way. Only, I wish that those poor, ignorant slobs (the rest of the world) would stop living as if everything was roses and that everyone was as honest as the day is long.” Paul says in First Thessalonians 5:21 that we should “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” When we as Christians see this statement, we apply it to all things religious, as we should, but many times not to the rest of our lives. Everything that we do throughout our lives should be done in accordance with the will of God (Col. 3:17). The Bible is our only example of how to live a Christian life, and we should test everything in our lives by it.

Fair-Minded

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The American College Dictionary says that fair-minded is, “fair in mind or judgment, impartial, unprejudiced.” The Greek word eugenes is translated here fair-minded but originally meant “to be noble,” especially noble of birth. In this verse Paul uses it more as a character trait rather than an inherited one. He has the idea of being noble of mind or open minded, being ready and willing to listen to the word of God without prejudice. Open-mindedness is an essential trait that all Christians should posses. Without this we can easily become dogmatic, asserting our own beliefs as true when they are founded merely on tradition or certain prejudices. The ability to question ourselves will result in a stronger faith that we will be able to defend when called upon to do so.  Instead of dismissing him off hand for his foreign beliefs the Bereans listened to what Paul had to say and then searched the Scriptures to see if it was the truth. In questioning not only Paul, but their own beliefs, they found salvation (Acts 17:12).

Seek and Find

                                                      
Have you ever set out to discover something, whether it was “who done it” at the end of a good “murder mystery,” or how those infernal socks keep escaping from the dryer? People do it every day. Humans are naturally inquisitive beings; they want to know how things work, and why things happen. Many people throughout the years have posed the greatest question that there is, “Is there a God?” Though some have found the truth, many are still looking or have given up altogether, either inventing a god that suits their circumstances or pretending that there is not one so that their conscience does not interfere with their lives. There are still some out there, though, who are truly looking for answers and genuinely want the truth. Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Ask , and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Mat. 7:7-8). If we seek, if we really want to know, we will find the right answers. Even after we come to the knowledge of the truth, we must continue to search for and do God’s will. We will spend hours looking for a lost set of keys, but how long will we spend looking for salvation for our lost soul?

Conclusion

Maybe that little four year old has got it right. Asking why anything and everything is the way that it is, is not foolish but necessary to grow and mature into something that is useful. Now we must ask ourselves a question. Have we become something useful to God or merely to ourselves?