One Question

When someone approaches me and says, “I want to ask you one question”, I think that there has been great thought in that question.  Andy Andrews always says, “The quality of your answers is determined by the quality of your questions”.  If I want good answers, I must ask good questions.  If I’m trying to get to know someone, I shouldn’t ask “yes” or “no” questions. “Yes” or “no” questions do not require a lot of thought.

As I’m reading through the history of Judah & Israel, there are different kings every few years. The biggest reason they don’t reign long as king, is because they simply don’t follow the Lord. Every now and then a king comes along that follows the Lord. It seems that fully following the Lord was more of an exception instead of the norm. Check this out….

⁹ Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. ¹⁰ He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.

¹¹ Asa did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done. ¹² He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols^[e] his ancestors had made. ¹³ He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁴ Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life. ¹⁵ He brought into the Temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated. (1 Kings 15:9-15 NLT)

Let me get to the one question…..  Is my heart completely faithful to the Lord?  This is really as “Yes” or “No” question. I have to answer no and qualify it – “not all the time”.  I want to follow the Lord fully. Sin is so distracting and catches my eye and I stumble.

A few years ago, there was a movement that said: “What would Jesus Do?”  That is also a good question to ask – it’s not a “yes” or “no”.  What if I always did what Jesus would do? If my actions were determined by the answer to that question, I could keep my heart faithful to the Lord.

Andy Stanley wrote a good book several years ago called: “The Best Question Ever”. Andy’s best question is “What is the wise thing to do?”.  If I asked that question before every choice or activity that is before me, I would be extremely wise and careful to follow the Lord fully.  The One question that I think keeps my eternal life in focus is: Do I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior?

I’m so thankful that even though my heart is often divided between honoring the Lord and embarrassing Him, He is faithful with His Grace and mercy as I figure this out. I so want it said of me, that “he followed the Lord fully”.

Pressing On!

Dwayne