The Power of ?

From the moment we burst into consciousness and took a giant and painful gulp of air, our brains were spurred onto the long and colorful mission to learn as much as we can. Somehow our learning software, programmed into our minds, was automatically activated. Even though we didn’t yet understand it, we suddenly became aware of the passing of time, and the continual change around us opened the flood gates allowing intelligent information to rush into our hard drive.

That journey continues today, as we experience life and attempt to uncover all the layers of mystery that wrap tightly around every physical object and every mental concept. For many hours a day, we sit in class and let the “experts” rip off some layers for us. In church we sit and let our pastors and elders rip layers off of spiritual issues. And even in our free time and entertainment, it becomes all the more enjoyable when we are improving our knowledge of something that intensely interests us. I guarantee that since you came into existence, you will never be able to escape turning the unknown in the known. In order to quit learning you first have to die and then once you reach your eternal destination, you have to fall into a dreamless coma (note that it has to be dreamless).

You can use this bit of truth for a lot of things, but lately I’ve been thinking about the sheer power of questions. God (yeah, the omniscient one) used questions a lot. Why does He ask these questions? Why not just be declarative?


“Adam, Eve, where are you?”
“Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
“What have you done?”
(Genesis 3:9-13)

“Cain, where is your brother?”
“What have you done?”
(Genesis 5:9-11)

“Abrum, why did Sarah laugh?"
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
(Genesis 18:13-14)

“Who made man’s mouth? Who declares whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?”
(Exodus 4:11)

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?... Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the horizon? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?... Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east?”
“You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”
(Job 38-40)

“What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
“Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?”
“Why are you afraid?”
“Where is your faith?”
“Why do you doubt me?”
“Why are you sleeping?”
“Don’t you understand yet?”
“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?”
“What do you think about the Messiah?”
“Who do people say I am?”
“Who do you say I am?”
“Why are you trying to trap me?”
“Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Do you believe I can make you see?”
“Does no one condemn you?”
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
(The Gospels)


Apparently, questions are enough to stimulate those inborn mystery-solving juices that are in abundance in your brain. God wants you to think. Why don’t we ask ourselves more questions? Why don’t we ask others more questions? Are we afraid to admit that we are in search for truth? Questions beg for truth. Questions can only be quenched with truth. Truth can only be found when the mind has truly opened up question.

Too often do we settle for the declarative, informative sentences even when they cause us to ask more questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Go to school, go to church, go to parties with questions. There are a lot of stuck up, proud people who need to change, but won’t until you ask them questions. There are a lot of broken, suffering people who can’t find the answers because you haven’t yet asked them the questions. There are some areas in your own life where you continually struggle because you haven’t been willing to ask the questions.

We have only begun to scratch the surface and tap into the power of questions.