R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I've been wondering these past few weeks about how I (and people in general) struggle with just telling others what I think they need to hear rather than listening to them and asking some penetrating questions to help understand them. As it happens a few days ago I was walking along the road doing my morning routine exercise when I had a total God moment. I was reading in the book of Luke as I walked along at the story of Jesus when he was left behind in Jerusalem by his parents. They later came back and after searching high and low they finally found him in the temple “about his father business" is what he told them. But what really nailed me between the eyes was the next part of the story. It struck me deeply that this 12 year old boy had a better handle on how to engage people than this 43 year old pastor ever has. It says that they found him sitting among the teachers; 1) listening to them... how good of a listener am I? 2) asking them questions... rather than telling them what was right or wrong or good or bad he was asking them questions.– How many times do I tell people what to do rather than ask them deep and profound questions? 3) they were amazed at his understanding... most people around me are amazed at how I don’t get it, I don’t understand! I must admit understanding others is a slower and much more difficult way of engaging them. When what I would rather do is just throw a bible verse or two at them and tell them to obey it. And finally, 4) then and only then does it mention his answers. Before he ever got to the answers he worked at listening, he worked at asking profound and penetrating questions (at least for a 12 year old level), he worked at understanding those around him BEFORE he gave his answers. I wondered if this whole way of dealing with others is the thing that astonished the teachers around him. Just a kid yet such a handle on respecting them, by listening, asking good questions, understanding them, and answering their adult type questions! Then come the fascinating part... he grew in wisdom and stature in favor with God and men. He still had wisdom to grow into... WOW, he already was amazing but he still had some learnin to do! The boy Jesus has so much to teach all of us when it comes to engaging others in dialogue. We need to stop trying to fix others or force answers on them when we haven't first done the hard work of listening, asking and understanding. Make me like you Lord!

When I told my family this morning about all this Mackenzie my 13 year old piped up and said, "Don't worry about it dad, Jesus was God what did you expect!" We all had a good laugh.