John 9: 17 They
said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your
eyes?”
He said, “He
is a prophet.”
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been
blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had
received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he
now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age;
ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents
said these things because they feared the Jews, for the
Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ,
he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore
his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
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In the meeting I
asked one person for suggestions. “Brilliant!” I exclaimed to their answer. I
asked follow on questions to get them to think of new ideas. When another
person tried to add their remarks, I replied “Thanks, but not right now.” Then
I added, “Can you stay after the meeting?” knowing I wanted to ask questions
about their strange expenses.
- There have been times when I asked questions of people, knowing fully that I did not believe them.
- There have been times when I have put together a line of questions that forced people to prove themselves.
- There have been times when I sought after the guilt of a person.
The church leaders
were getting nowhere with the healed blind man so they brought in his parents.
They hoped his parents would say, “This man is not our son” or “He never was
blind” but they confirmed he was their son who was born blind. His parents
feared the church leader’s power to make them homeless and ostracized.
- GOD wants me to seek the innocence in people in order to bring them to HIM.
- GOD wants me to look at people with grace so they can grow in HIM.
- GOD wants me to add to people versus taking away from them.
Innovative questions
assume expertise, wisdom and capability. Interrogation questions assume guilt,
wrong motive and need for correction. GOD wants me to be in the innovative
realm as much as possible. HE is the creator and has given me the ability to do
the same on a much smaller scale.
It takes patience,
grace and mercy to think innovatively. GOD wants me to build people up instead
of trying to tear them down. I ask GOD for help in this and I am grateful HE
gives mercy.
- Are you asking interrogation type questions to people around you?
- Are you seeking their guilt so you can look better?
- Will you start asking innovative questions so people can grow in the way GOD wants them to?
