I have spent the majority of my life, yes; even my childhood, asking “what if”. As I sit here this morning I find God whispering to me to stop worrying about the what ifs and trust Him. The problem is I am struggling with wrapping my mind around what the future holds. What does it look like and where will I be? Is it going to go the way I want it to? Will I be what I thought I would be when I look back over the years as my time on this Earth comes to an end? My biggest struggle and what has kept me from pursuing so many things in my life are these questions: “What if I fail? What if I look like a fool? What if I’m just not as good as I thought I would be? What if I’m not enough for whatever task is at hand? The list continues but I think you get the point.
If you are like me all your what ifs are negative. Reread my what if questions. Did you notice it was all the bad things that could happen? Not one question was focused on the positive outcome. What would happen if I changed those questions to this: what if I was successful? What if I looked wise? What if I’m better at this than I thought I would be? What if I am enough for whatever task is at hand? It is much easier to focus on all the things that could go wrong instead of all the things that could go right. All those negative what if questions come from fear and as the song says, “fear is a liar.” Satan wants you to focus in on the what if questions to keep you from reaching your full potential. He wants to keep you right where you are, knock you backwards, or even knock you down and keep you there.
I imagine God is saying this, “Oh, but my child what if you fly?” God wants much more for us than we can fathom, but we’re content with what we have. Why? There is no way that our minds can grasp the full power we have in God and what we are capable of so we just settle for what seems to be good. My heart has been unsettled lately. I feel like God is calling me, wanting me to do something, but I’m not sure what it is and while I’m waiting for that answer I’m getting frustrated. I ask myself the what ifs, and then let myself believe the lies that I couldn’t do whatever it is God has called or is calling me to do. The truth is, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
What if I let go of all the negative what ifs and allowed the positive what ifs to play out in my mind and in my life. What if I let go and trust God to do what He has promised. No matter the outcome, God is still on my side. He is fighting for me daily, for He is the God of Angel Armies. He is fighting every battle that I face and even those that I am unaware of. Letting go is scary to me because I don’t like to start things that I am not 100% certain that I will be successful. I am afraid to fail. I am afraid to fall. I am afraid of what others will think if I fail and fall. I am afraid of what tomorrow holds. How long will I let this fear control me?
No more stinkin’ thinkin’! I’m going to allow God to use me, no matter what that looks like. It’s scary because those negative what ifs could come true, but so could the positive ones. I’m working on positive thinking and knowing that God is for me. My prayer lately has been, “God, create a pure heart in me, and renew a right attitude within me.” (Psalm 51:10 ISV) I have not read that version before, and I like the ending. Renew a right attitude within me, meaning I want the right attitude about the things that I face throughout my day. Will you join me? Will you let go of your what ifs and trust God to do great and mighty things through you? What a difference it would make if all of us stopped allowing fear to keep us in bondage. Always remember, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,and your ways are not My ways.”This is the Lord’s declaration. Isaiah 55:8
