The Wrong Questions

Written by Jarred Rushing

(5 minutes)

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do." (John 9:1-3)

When I read this scripture from Sunday in The Message translation today I could feel so much weight on this phrase: "You're asking the wrong question." I don't know about you, but when hard situations arise I'm usually asking the wrong questions, and they typically start with how or why.

How could I not see this coming?
Why did this happen to me?
How can I fix this?
Why did God allow this?
How could they do something like that?
Why am I always dealing with this same issue?

You see, my questions normally begin with how or why. We ask questions like this when we want an explanation. But as someone pointed out to me this week at Linger House, Jesus rarely stops to explain things. Explanations are given to rehash the past, but Abba seems way more interested in where we are going, not where we are coming from.

What if we're asking the wrong questions?

What if Abba is trying to change our perspective as we take the walk with Him today?

What if how we see things could change?

As we get closer to Jesus in intimacy, our perspective will begin to shift. Most of the wrong questions that we ask are rooted in an inaccurate view of God. We just need to get more familiar with His nature, and we do that by staring at Jesus. When the foundation of your theology tells you that God is distant and disapproving, that He's temperamental and falls in and out of love with you depending on your behavior, and that He has no choice but to cast you out of His presence at the first sign of sin, then it gets harder to see difficult situations with the right heart. When fear of punishment rules your inner world, you'll always be looking for who's to blame. Can you ever see things right when you're constantly looking over your shoulder expecting the heavy hand of judgment to come your way? This is why we're so quick to look for who's to blame. Because when Daddy shows up we need to know who to point the finger at. But this is all based on an incorrect view of Abba's nature. When we begin to see Abba's true nature revealed in Jesus, it becomes easier to see the situations of life as they are, in the Light.

If we knew how good Abba truly was we'd never waste time asking the wrong questions! When we see Him right, we'll see everything else right.

What would your questions sound like if you believed wholeheartedly that Abba was good? Where would your curiosity take you if you weren't afraid of being punished or pushed away? If you were completely convinced of the Father's unconditional love for you, what would you ask Him?

Let's read the scripture again in The Passion Translation:

Afterward, as Jesus walked down the street, he noticed a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused this guy's blindness, his own, or the sin of his parents?" Jesus answered, "Neither. It happened to him so that you could watch him experience God's miracle." (John 9:1-3)

Let's take it one step further: what if we were so convinced of Abba's goodness that we no longer needed to ask questions at all? What if we were so certain that "every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God's perfect plan of bringing good into our lives," that questions became irrelevant? (Romans 8:28) What if the questions faded away and were replaced by Abba's final answer? Every detail is designed so we can witness a miracle that was tailor-made for our ultimate good. That's Abba's final answer.

Too far? Let's just focus on Abba's next footstep in front of us. On your walk today, ask Him to talk to you about how you see things, especially the hard things in life. Open your heart and allow Him to say whatever He wants to say. And know that whatever He highlights in your heart, He also gives you the grace to walk away from, if you are willing to trust Him as unconditionally loving, kind, and good. He will do whatever it takes for you to see Him and yourself rightly. That's the heart of the most perfect Father you will ever know!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Worship: "When I Lock Eyes With You / Your Love Is Extravagant" by Harvest & Jon Thurlow

Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!