asking good questions

i don't know when it started, but somewhere along the way i started collecting "good questions." i do know how it started. i would be reading a book, usually along the lines of spiritual formation, & the author would pose a question that struck me somehow. sometimes with conviction, sometimes because i'd never thought of it before, sometimes due to an interest in the topic -- but all good questions.

i think one characteristic of a student of Life is the asking of good questions. a student, by definition, seeks to learn. one of the most common ways we learn is by finding answers to questions. we glean these answers in various ways -- reading, experimenting, exploring, asking others older &/or wiser than we, observing, listening, practicing, failing, succeeding. life is full of lessons for those willing to pay attention. looking for the lesson in all of life's experiences, the extraordinary & the mundane, is crucial for the student of Life. and we have open eyes to see those lessons all around us, every day, by asking questions of our experiences. what was significant about that circumstance? why am i drawn to that person? why do i avoid another? what am i afraid of? what's stopping me? how did i see God's presence through that situation?

i started noting questions that made me more aware of the importance of day-to-day happenings in the big picture of my life & the world, or that made me more reflective on myself, who i am, & who i am becoming, whether intentionally or not. i actually jot down "good Q" in the margins of my books & bible studies. i don't know that i originally intended to go back & review these questions or just wanted to note my thought in the moment. over time, i have gone back & looked at them. i have even started occasionally journaling about my answers to the questions that strike a chord with me. i've started recording them on index cards so i can keep them all together in one place.

and i thought another appropriate place for these good questions might be here on this little acreage of cyberspace. i'd like to share with you the questions that mystify me, inspire me, & convict me. sometimes, i might even share what my current personal answer is to a particular question. i'd love to hear your answers. because another characteristic of a student of Life is learning from the answers of others. there is much wisdom in community. may we become the wiser together!

today, i'd like to pose this question:

how can we be certain that we are growing spiritually?

this was asked during our prayer team meeting this past week, & i'll share with you our collective thoughts.

>> how others perceive us [they may see things in us that we don't]

>> answered prayers can indicate increased effectiveness & growth

>> how our reactions to certain situations evolve over time [do we become more or less reactionary? are our reactions calmer &/or more mature?]

>> having increased amazement in who God is & what He does

>> when being like God & with God becomes as natural as breathing

i know there must be many more insightful thoughts about this question, & it's one i'll be chewing on over time. i hope you'll share your thoughts!

how do you know when you're growing spiritually?