Did you know that the process of discerning is basically just asking questions? It is.
When you’re dealing with everyday topics or messages, you will save yourself a great deal of pain and manipulation if you learn to ask questions. Even in the realm of biblical discernment, asking questions is still the primary way to turn on your brain.
The Power of Engaging
So what is about questions that works so well? They force us to engage.
When you’re just mindlessly absorbing a show or song or large bowl of ice cream, you often don’t realize until later just how much damage was done.
And we can browse through life that way, like wandering through a bookstore. Warm drink in hand, we just meander from shelf to shelf as we sample this, read a paragraph or two of that, and sip our way from thing to thing and idea to idea.
And while there’s nothing wrong with that from time to time, this attitude can’t be our normal state. If it is, we are easy to manipulate. If this is our norm, we’ll find ourselves overreacting, responding out of instinct and emotion, often irrationally. (Think the comment section of your favorite form of social media.)
Instead we have to engage thoughtfully. And the way to do that is by asking questions.
Think of someone you like talking to because they’re such a good listener. As you talk, they look you in the eye. And every so often, they ask you something. A simple question or two. Nothing fancy, really. Just an occasional question to clarify (Who said that?) or help you tell your story (Oh my word! What happened then?).
Asking questions ensures we are engaged. It’s how we learn. It’s how we show others we are interested in what they’re saying. And it’s the surest way to be paying attention when something twists away from the Truth in any message we hear.
Asking Which Questions?
So what questions should we ask? Honestly, any question works, especially at first. But here are a few that will help you get started.
What did you say? Asking someone to repeat themselves is a very important way to discern. It makes sure you heard them correctly, of course, so you don’t accuse them of saying something they didn’t say. It also gives the other time to correct themselves. Sometimes, we misspeak, and allowing someone the chance to hear themselves repeat what they just said will help them catch a mistake before it gets out of hand.
What do you mean by that? It’s easy to jump to conclusions or assume we know what someone means, but this is always a dangerous game. And in the world of biblical discernment, it’s a very big deal. Depending on what religion or denomination someone belongs to, they can mean different things by phrases like “Jesus is God’s Son” or “love wins.” By asking someone to clarify what they mean, we are on guard against small lies that sneak in on common vocabulary.
What is their end game? You may not ask this question directly to the other person, but it protects you from being easily manipulated or from pushing an idea past its usefulness. For example, an article about how bad it is to drink cow’s milk written by a researcher is probably more trustworthy than one written by someone who’s trying to sell you a product to replace cow’s milk. The difference is their end game: giving you information or getting your money. Buying the product is always fine, of course, but being honest about what someone wants from us helps us engage with their message more honestly.
Asking Questions–Getting Answers
You can start asking questions today. You don’t need to know more about the Bible or that message or this book in order to get started. Even today, you can throw a question or two into your conversations or ask one about an article or meme you read online. It’s a great exercise to practice the discerning life.
But the best part is, if you ask questions, you can also get answers.
Because sometimes, the answer is as powerful as the question. See, if someone doesn’t have an answer, or a good answer, that tells you something about their message. If they blow you off or try to shift your question without answering it, this tells you something about their motives.
And if their answer puts them firmly outside the realm of Truth, then you can easily throw out their ideas like the bathwater that they are.
So ask questions. Start today. I think you’ll be surprised at just how powerful a small mark (?) can actually be.
