How Will I Know?

A couple of years ago, some of my friends and I were driving through vast expanse of the Texas panhandle on our way to the ski slopes of New Mexico. While we were passing by Lubbock, my friend Alex decided to divert our conversation to the music on the radio. He asked, “Does it seem to you that there was good music in the 1970’s and the 1990’s, but it just skipped over the 1980’s?” 

It seemed like an innocent question, which I thought might lead to a rousing conversation. As a child of the 1990’s, I kind of felt the same way, but I kept quiet. However, Tracy was not ‘gonna take it.’ He replied that he believed the 1980’s was the best decade for music. Unfortunately, he did not stop there, he had to ‘push it.’ Over the next six hours, he attempted to 'beat it' into our brains by subjecting us to an auditory tour of synthesizers, hair bands, and monster ballads from the 1980’s. 

In Mark 10, two of the apostles asked Jesus a question. They asked him if they could sit next to him at ‘the end of the world as we know it.’ Considering the big picture, their question seems kind of ridiculous. However, I cannot blame them, I think I would like to sit next to Jesus too. James and John (the apostles) had obviously grown rather fond of Jesus in their time together. 

Jesus’ reply was very gracious, yet he did not just answer the question. He told them that they did not know what they were asking of him. Instead of deploring their ignorance, Jesus addressed the real issue. Their question was turned into a prophecy and a lesson about leadership in the kingdom of God.

Sometimes our lives are motivated by seeking answers to our questions. ‘Time after time,’ I ask and wait for God to ‘pour some sugar on me.’ I wonder if we tend to miss the lesson because we are looking for the answer. After the anthology of 1980’s music ‘shook me all night long,’ I was still not convinced that the 1980’s was indeed the best decade for music. I wish Alex would have kept his question to himself. However, I did learn quite a bit about the life of Tracy. 

I do not think we should stop asking the questions, but we should seek the leadership of God, even if it is not an answer. Keep 'livin on a prayer.'