X-Ray Questions: Drawing Out the Whys and Wherefores of Human Behaviors

In this article, David Powlison examines the various dimensions of the “why” question in counseling and argues that it speaks directly to issues of motivation and behavior. Powlison provides some introductory material and then transitions into 35 questions that have a God-centered connection. Each of the 35 questions given circle around the same basic issue: Who or what is your functional God/god? These 35 questions mirror the “active verbs” that relate man to God, turning each of them on its head. For example, you are called to love God. What do you love instead, when you become angry, or anxious, or escapist? The verbs that relate people to God must become an active part of your thinking. Seeing the God-relatedness of all motivation calls for a God-related solution: Jesus Christ.