Beyond the Surface

The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful]; they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable]. Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age; they will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]. (Psalm 92:12-14 AMP)

Memorizing Scripture can be a powerful part of our spiritual journey, or it can just be rote memorization. If it is the latter, the words mean nothing, only an exercise in brain power. But if it is for spiritual growth that one memorizes God’s Word to gain wisdom in tangible ways applied to everyday life… well, that is not just powerful, that is transformational living!

Apply that same concept to all relationships. We might not be memorizing a script, but if all we do is speak to each other at a surface level, we are missing connection at a heart level. Jesus met people where they were. He wanted to know who He was with, where they came from, and where they were going. Although Jesus already knew these answers, He wanted to hear from His people. If you care about someone, you must be curious with them and be willing to go deep into emotions to find what causes them delight or sorrow. The more curious you are, the farther away from the surface you travel as you draw nearer to the heart, and that, too, is transformational to the connection of any relationship.

Tangible Takeaway:

For relationships to go beyond surface level:

Be curious and ask open-ended questions that do not lend themselves to typical yes and no responses, but would lend themselves to more unstructured responses. Start simple: “What is your favorite childhood memory, and tell me why?” Or be a little more curious: “If you could pass on one nugget of wisdom from your life experience thus far, what would it be?”

This is an excerpt from We’re Still in This by Susan Goss – a new relationship devotional book released by DaySpring publishing.  Learn more about this book, or shop other books from DaySpring.