Better Questions Bring Better Answers

On our homepage, we keep a list of questions from Graham Cooke and Brilliant Perspectives that have shaped how to think about suffering, growth, and God’s presence. They’re not surface-level questions like “Why is this happening to me?”Instead, they invite us to partner with God in the middle of difficulty. They reframe pain as an opportunity to encounter Him afresh.

Here are five of the best questions, with a biblical perspective on why they matter — and why they work so well in Christian counseling.


1. What is this situation helping me unlearn?
The Christian life is as much about unlearning lies as it is about learning truth. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Many strongholds are built on old assumptions (“I’m alone,” “I can’t change,” “This defines me”). Asking what we’re unlearning helps identify those lies and replace them with God’s truth. In counseling, this reframes hardship as a classroom rather than a prison.


2. If Jesus were looking out through my eyes, how would He see this situation, person, or battle?
This is profoundly biblical. Philippians 2:5 urges, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”Seeing through His eyes shifts perspective from fear or resentment to love, compassion, and eternal hope. In counseling, this helps break the cycle of bitterness and offers a practical way to “put on the mind of Christ” in daily conflicts.


3. Since Jesus is already living in me, how would He handle this situation?
Galatians 2:20 declares, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” This question roots identity in union with Christ. Instead of asking, “What should I do?” the believer asks, “What would Jesus do in me?” That small shift grounds action in grace rather than self-effort — hugely important for those burdened with guilt, shame, or performance pressure.


4. Who/What do You want to be for me now?
God reveals Himself progressively — Jehovah Jireh as Provider, Jehovah Rapha as Healer, Jesus as Savior and Friend. Psalm 23 shows this: God is Shepherd in times of need, Restorer in times of brokenness, Comforter in the valley. This question invites God to define Himself afresh in the midst of suffering. In counseling, it keeps clients from fixating on what’s absent and instead looking for the fresh revelation of who God is.


5. What is God’s truth in this situation setting me free from? And what new freedom must I explore now?
John 8:32 promises, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Every trial exposes chains that Christ intends to break. Asking what freedom is being revealed puts suffering in the context of liberation, not loss. Counseling framed this way helps people see their trial not as punishment but as an opportunity to step into greater freedom in Christ.

Why These Questions Work in Christian Counseling
Each one shifts the believer from passivity to partnership, from “Why me?” to “What now?” They take hardship seriously but refuse to leave it meaningless. They are rooted in Scripture’s constant pattern: God disciplines, tests, humbles — not to destroy, but to renew, free, and transform His children.