Asking 'why' helps expand, change our thinking

"If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God."

- James 1:5 (NIV)

Have you ever asked yourself the question "Why?" It's a small but powerful question.

I realized that was one question I often asked myself in my lifelong journey for maturity and enlightenment. One of the invaluable principles of life is asking.

God even informs us we don't receive because we don't ask for what we need. We need to ask God for wisdom, and we need to ask ourselves questions as well. Our own growth and potential are inspired by asking ourselves this question.

We can fuel our understanding and self-motivation by seeking the answers to a simply why. A curious child in science class realizes they can discover an answer to something by asking, "Why?"

Asking this question helps expand and change our thinking. Our perceptions and perspectives on life can change when we start to gain understanding as to why things occur. It can remove some of our limiting fears and excuses as we take a deeper look at why we think the way we do.

And God may be trying to move us forward into a new path or direction he has for us.

Experts say creative thinking flourishes through asking questions. The motive for asking is to discover why something was done in the first place and how it works. When done in a place of problem solving, this powerful question can clear up confusion as to what choice to make.

As with anything, there can be a negative side to analyzing ourselves and others. If we get into over-analyzing it causes doubt and confusion. When this happens, we can settle our wavering thoughts by sticking to the facts about a situation and placing our feeling and opinions aside.

Another downfall is when we start asking, "why me" too many times and get stuck in an emotion of depression or self-pity. There's nothing wrong with wondering "why me," but it seldom changes the situation.

It can create a negative scenario in our thinking and hold us back from moving forward and achieving God's purpose and plan.

I've heard it said that experience is our best teacher, I even believe many of my life experiences have taught me much. But in order to learn from them, we must be able to question and evaluate what we have learned and use the Bible as our guide to help us sort out truth from negative mindsets we've held on to.

When feeling stuck, making a list of good points regarding our issues or lives can help us sort out the good from the bad. Oftentimes, a why in our lives can lead us to new opportunities. If we find our whys keep us stuck, we may try enlisting the help of a counselor.

As we keep asking ourselves this powerful question, we find we are more able to face our challenges in a mature way, overcome fears that have hindered our progress and move forward into our God-given potential and purpose.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at P.O. Box 532, Grayslake, IL 60030; (847) 543-8413; or Annetteebudzban@aol.com.