What if
I love the song What If by Consumed by Fire (I encourage you to really listen to the words and read it as you listen.)
I wanna run
But what if I fall?
I wanna climb
But what if the wall is just too tall?
Higher than my faith could ever reach
I wanna trust, but, God, I'm afraid
Open my heart, but what if it breaks?
It's hard to believe
I'll ever be more than I'll ever be
What if I give up right before
He parts the sea
But what if the door swings open
To all I've been hoping and praying for
And what if my season of waiting
Was changing and leading to something more, more
What if jumping leads to flying
And fear didn't stop me from trying
What if God's just waiting for me to start seeing
How big He is
What if?
What if He hears all of your prayers?
You cry out to Jesus to find that He's there
Cause He still cares for the broken and the prodigal
So don't give up on this side of your miracle
Cause what if the door swings open
To all you've been hoping and praying for
And what if your season of waiting
Was changing and leading to something more, more
What if jumping leads to flying
And fear didn't stop you from trying
What if God's just waiting for you to start seeing
How big He is
What if?
What if your doubts and fears
Were the only chains that are holding you?
What if the prayer of faith
Is all it takes for the breakthrough?
Don't get stuck by what you see
What has been or what it is
Don't be scared by your past to ask what if?
What if the waiting was leading to more?
What if you ran through that open door?
What if on the other side is your miracle?
What if, what if, what if?
Did you catch this?
“What if I give up right before He parts the sea?” How powerful. I would guess that we have all, at times, given up right before! What did we miss? I know that I don’t ever want that to be the case. I don’t want to miss what the Lord has for me because the next part says:
But what if the door swings open
To all I've been hoping and praying for
And what if my season of waiting
Was changing and leading to something more, more
What if jumping leads to flying
And fear didn't stop me from trying
What if God's just waiting for me to start seeing
How big He is
What if
All I can think is WOW! I know I have missed it at times but when the door swings open and all I have prayed for comes true…that is mighty! No, it doesn’t always happen the way I want it to, but I don’t want to ever stop praying and hoping! I want the more, and I want to fly! I want to ask and see just how BIG my God is, then sit back and watch Him do His thing!
I got to thinking about all the What Ifs in our life. Here are a few I was thinking about.
WHAT IF:
You never move forward? Don’t live your life stuck in neutral or in the past. There is nothing wrong with remembering the past, but you can’t live there. Well, you can, but that isn’t going to do you or anyone around you any good. Remember with fondness and love the things in the past that are good and the things that aren’t good, let them go! There may be a lesson or trial you need to remember so you can do it different next time so learn and move forward. You can miss out on some amazing things if you don’t ever move forward. So, don’t stop moving forward because God may have something amazing waiting for you!
Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
You never forgive? What a sad and bitter life you may have if you choose to not forgive. Sure, you can live with not forgiving that person that wronged you but a lot of the times it is you living with it and not them. I can understand there may be some offenses or people that have hurt you so deeply it seems impossible to forgive…BUT GOD! He is truly the only way to give that forgiveness. Living with unforgiveness usually only leads to our destruction and that can come in so many different forms; illness, broken relationships, bitterness and hurt that will never go away. So, forgive and let God can show you just how liberating and freeing that forgiveness can be!
Eph. 4: 31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.
You never quit being angry? This is one that can lead to so many hard things in life. It can also have a lot to do with unforgiveness. (Those who choose to not forgive can end up with anger issues). Anger comes out in so many destructive ways; emotional and physical abuse, yelling and uncontrollable actions, being passive-aggressive, sarcasm and blaming everyone else for the way we choose to act. So, quit being angry so God can show you a whole new world that may not be possible if you continue in the anger!
Ecc 7:9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
Psalm 37:8 Refrain from anger and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Eph 4:26-27 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Rom 12: 17-21 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
You never embrace the new journey? We all go through stages in our lives where we end and begin a new journey, or a new phase in life. These journeys can be so many different things. They can include graduation, job change, major accomplishment in life, birth of a new baby, oh those teenage years we never thought would end, finding or changing churches, buying a new house and all that goes with that, loss of a child, spouse, sibling, parent, a sickness that doesn’t seem to end, a medical diagnosis you weren’t expecting, etc. I know it depends on what the new journey is as to whether it is going to be something we enjoy or something that is going to be difficult. Are you going to be able to look at it as a way to grow in your trust and faith in God? Are we going to look at it in a positive or a negative way? Right now, if you are on a new journey, how are you embracing it? Or is there a new journey coming up, and how are you looking at it? So, embrace the new journey and see what God has for you and watch Him move mountains you thought were impossible to move!
Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Phil 3: 12-14 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
You stop praying? This is something that for the longest time I feel like I didn’t do well. I guess I always thought prayer was supposed to look a certain way or be said a certain way. It hasn’t been until the last 10 years that I began to realize that it really is just me talking to God. Just like I am typing this now, it is open and honest communication with my Father who loves me more than anything. I know how much my earthly father loves me. It’s simply the best feeling in the whole world, and that doesn’t even compare to my Heavenly Father and His love for me. WOW! That can be hard to imagine but what a cool thing. To know that I can tell my Heavenly Father anything means so much. It’s not like He doesn’t already know what I am thinking! For me, it is having someone to talk to that I can say anything to, and He is always listening. He doesn’t judge or condemn or make me feel guilty, but He prays/intercedes for me. (Rom 8:34) He’s right in the trenches with me. Today, start talking to Him. It is life changing. So, don’t ever stop praying and watch God answer in unbelievable ways; your answer may be just around the corner!
1 Thes 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Phil 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
You stop looking for the opportunity? Don’t wait! Look for the opportunity to share with others what you are learning or have learned through experiences, especially shared experiences. We have all been through different trials, journeys, experiences. Wouldn’t it be great if we helped someone to help navigate those same things through what we have been through? It says in the Bible to “go at once”! Don’t delay! I believe we can get through more with the help of others and maybe even overcome those things faster when we share it. So, keep looking for ways to show off your God and all He has done for you; don’t stop right He shows you your next opportunity; it may be life changing!
Prob 24: 30-34 (The Message Translation) One day I walked by the field of an old lazybones, and then passed the vineyard of a slob; They were overgrown with weeds,
thick with thistles, all the fences broken down. I took a long look and pondered what I saw; the fields preached me a sermon and I listened: “A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, with poverty as your permanent houseguest!”
Numbers 13:30-31 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
You stay away from fellowship? We are made for relationships. We are made to have friendships. I know there are introverts and extroverts and being around people can be hard at times for some. However, you don’t have to be around people 24/7. Even some extroverts need time alone! But I believe we can thrive and live a much fuller life when we are around the right friends and have the right relationships. The right people in our lives can encourage us, challenge us, be our shoulder to cry on, help us stay on the right path, and be there when we need them. Notice I said the right people. Those like-minded and who want the best for us. If someone is negative, discouraging, unhappy and not full of joy, usually they are not the people you should hang around. So, continue in fellowship with those who love God like you do and who value Him and see what He has planned for you!
Ps 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
Heb 10: 24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
You stop trusting God? I do not know where I would be in this life without trusting God. I know that no matter what I face in this life, He can be trusted. That doesn’t mean that I may not question something I am going through or get mad or sad, but it does mean that I can trust Him. Trust His timing, His grace, His love, His perfect will for my life. It can be hard to explain at times how His trust works. I want to say IYKYK, but it really is true. If You Know You Know! If you have put your faith in Him, He can be trusted. No, He doesn’t always answer the way we want or in the time we want. No, it isn’t always going to go the way we want it to but in the end, it is always for our good and His glory. He deserves the praise and the hallelujahs and amens! Put your complete trust and faith in Him and you will not be disappointed! It may not look like that at times but believe me, He is worth it. So, trust Him and watch what He does; it’s gonna be amazing!
Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Jere 17: 7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Isaiah 26: 3-4 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
I said all of that to say this. We all face What If’s in our life. In my opinion, if we face them without our Heavenly Father as our guide, we can face them in fear. I know when I fail to trust that God is with me, interceding for me, guiding me, I tend to be more fearful. I think and dwell on the negative instead of the positive. Circumstances that we think we can control, situations we find ourselves in, outcomes we can’t predict are going to happen in our life. Usually, it’s not a matter of if but when. We are going to have that fight that can’t or won’t be resolved. We are going to lose that job that we thought was the best job. We are going to have that relationship that isn’t good for us or honoring to God. We are going to lose that loved one that we don’t think we can live without. We are going to face a sickness or long-term illness that doesn’t seem to have an end. We are going to face trials and temptations that are too big for us. When, not if, those times come where will your faith be? Will it be living in the what ifs or in the even ifs? Something I read a while ago: What If = Fear and Even If = Faith. The What ifs are coming if they haven’t already. Try not to live in the What If but live in the Even If and face them knowing that God is sovereign, He is still on the throne, and He is in control. Believe He loves you, cares for you, intercedes for you. How do you do that? Faith! And don’t STOP believing for your answer!
Faith is sowing what we have been given to create what we have been promised. A very wise man told me this… (thank you daddy!) REMEMBER: We have been promised so much!
Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
