Asking (Part 2)

Dallas Willard describes what happens as we "back off" from trying to fix or improve others and they begin to open up (see yesterday's post):

I may quickly begin to appear to them as a possible ally and resource. Now they begin to sense their problem to be the situation they have created, or possibly themselves. Because I am no longer trying to drive them, genuine communication, real sharing of hearts, becomes an attractive possibility. The healing dynamic of the request comes naturally into play. And this is ... how to really be of help to those near us (Matt. 7:7-11).

When we stand thus in the kingdom, our approach to influencing others, for their good as well as ours, will be simply to ask: to ask to change, and to help them in any way they ask of us. It is a natural extension of this dynamic when we turn to ask God to work in their lives and hearts. to bring about changes. These changes will certainly involve more than any conscious choice they could make or we could desire."

We might want to respond that we also need to ask God to change us. Willard deals with that subject in most of the book. The quotation we are meditating on challenges us to change the way we go about helping each other change.

Isn't it amazing how hard it is for us in the situation to even think of the possibility of asking another person to change something?

More on this next time.