Susie

I've been reading a book called

QBQ—

the Question Behind the Question

by John G. Miller.

Though it's really a book for 

corporations and businesses,

I'm fascinated by it

because of the simple fact

that there's usually another question

behind the question we're asking.

Example: In a corporate world, 

an employee might ask,

"Why doesn't our manager give us

enough budget to do a great job?"

The question that should be asked is,

"How can I do the best job possible with

the limited resources I have?"

I've been using this book to help me think

in terms of the girls in our sisterhood.

School is right around the corner,

and you're about to walk back onto your campus.

You may be tempted, after a few days,

to ask, "How come I don't have great friends?"

Let me challenge you to turn that around.

Ask instead, "What can I do to be a great friend to others?"

Instead of asking, "Why do I have such a lousy math teacher?"

Ask instead, "What can I do on my own to better understand the assignment?"

Instead of asking, "How come this jerk sits next to me in history class?"

Ask instead, "What can I do to be a positive light in his life?"

And I've also been thinking about some of the questions 

the disciples asked Christ.

In John 6:16, we read about a storm. 

The disciples were already in the boat.

Jesus  hadn't joined them yet.

Verse 19 tells us, "When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, 

they saw Jesus approaching the boat.

walking on the water; 

and they were terrified."

Jesus told them not to be afraid.

He got into the boat.

And SUDDENLY

they were immediately on the shore!

(Scripture hints that Christ just PUT them

immediately where they needed to be.)

When they got to the shore, the crowds

who had been following Jesus couldn't

believe He was there.

They knew He hadn't rowed there.

In verse 25, some of the followers

asked Him HOW He got there.

WHEN He got there.

Jesus basically told them they 

weren't asking the right questions.

You see, their question really revealed

the question behind it!

They weren't actually interested

in Jesus' ministry on the shore.

Rather, they were into the spectacular.

They wanted to know about the "magic-ness"

of HOW He got there and WHEN it happened.

Their focus was completely off.

And Christ told them.

In the next couple of verses (26-27), He tries

to realign their focus.

As you think about your campus,

your friends,

your part-time job,

your family,

your community,

your future . . .

what questions are you asking?

Jesus LOVES your questions!

But He wants you to be asking the right ones.

Consider the questions you ask.

What's the REAL question behind the question you're asking?

We'll chat more about some off-beat questions

from the Bible.

But first . . . I want to know your thoughts about this.

And I want to know what kind of questions

you've been asking—that you're now beginning to realize

really weren't the right questions at all.

Love you!

Susie Shellenberger