Cut the Chit Chat

Yesterday I got to talk about developing spiritual friendships - relationships where you not only talk about the everyday things you enjoy together, but regularly and intentionally share and ask what God is doing in your lives. In his blog a few weeks ago Mac Lake had a great post on the value of this, along with some excellent questions for getting the ball rolling. (Thanks for the reminder on this post from the Stirred Up Leadership blog)

Mac writes...

Spiritual leadership isn’t just about accomplishing God given results, it’s also about caring for the souls of those we lead along the way. As leaders we are accustomed to meeting with our direct reports and talking to them about action plans, priorities and results, but we often neglect talking to them about the condition of their soul. While we don’t have to be their spiritual accountability partner or best friend it’s wise to stay in touch with the condition of the soul of those we lead. Aubrey Malphurs, one of my professors at Dallas Seminary, used to have a plaque on his desk that read, “Let’s cut through the chit chat, what’s God doing in your life?” Okay that may be a little to direct if you’re not that close to someone but you get the idea. For some leaders inquiring into the condition of their followers soul can be awkward or uncomfortable. So having a few good questions can help make this more natural and more effective. Here are a few…

• What’s the freshest thing God has been doing in your life lately?
• How full is your emotional, physical and spiritual tanks?   Empty, quarter filled, half, three quarters or full.
• What theme does God seem to be emphasizing in this season of your life?
• What are you looking for God to do in your life in the next couple of months?
• What’s God been saying to you through His Word recently?
• What passion is God stirring in your soul recently?
• What season best describes your spiritual life right now: Winter, spring summer or fall?  Why?
• What’s exciting you the most in your spiritual journey these days?

How can you ask such a question this week?