Insecurity answers every question!

[Especially for Christians...] I believe it is often times our insecurities that create this need in us to answer all the questions for people. I think that a person's need to go through the discovery process and find the answers is greater than a simple need for answers. What we can do is provide a safe context for those questions to land in.

Feeling the need to answer:
Every once and awhile I find myself in a one on one meeting or small group context where I find my self leaning forward ready to say "Well not really" or "actually that's not what the Bible says" or sometimes I want to just say "you are way off base man...come back to reality". But again I believe it is our insecurities that often drive us to answer all the questions. There are some questions that need clear, concise, and immediate answers. More times than not people's questions need a context for conversation and contemplation. People are in process. Especially when it comes to God.

Answers in the back:
It's kind of like the math book from my trig class in high school. The answers are all in the back but if I simply grab the answer from the back every time then I never learn the process and never own it and ultimately I'll fail the final. Yet we both passionately and naively handicap our friends all the time by giving all the answers.

If you are a follower of Jesus:
Don't allow your insecurities or impatience drive you to answer all the questions for the people in your life that are asking. Create a context for conversation instead of giving them all the answers from the back of the book. Christianity is personal at it's core. Just because you know the answer doesn't mean that you necessarily need to share it to every person in every situation! If it isn't personal for people it will never stick. Add to that the fact that listening gives you a license to speak. Seek to understand rather than seeking to be heard.

If you are still on the fence about Jesus or Christianity:
Keep asking questions. God isn't afraid of your tough questions. The Bible is rich with answers and insight. And if those of us that are followers of Jesus give every answer too quickly just know it's because we so desperately want you to experience what we've experienced that we sometimes jump the gun. Not because we are know it alls!

That's My thought for the day.