The WHAT IFs!
Sunday’s Monday
The more I examine my thought processing abilities, the more I see why I experience so many setbacks in my life. God shows me more each day how I (more times than not) will stop thinking on whatever the issue is once I think I’ve found what I expected. Being a human I often times move on once I feel I understand, which most always left me standing under those who went on to disclose the full clarification of their research. It’s all about understanding the significance of today’s choices and the effect it will have on tomorrow. I heard it said, “Make good choices today so you don’t have regrets tomorrow.” And perhaps my favorite quote is “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela.
Truth is I spent the better part of my life living in a “what if world”. “What if” is a horrible place to live, as so few good and solid thoughts can survive long in it. Oh sure! Even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally and that was the case with me. At that time in my life, I was merely surviving life instead of living it. Spending most of it in recovery mode, living in an ungodly fear of losing everything near and dear, until the “what if” won and I lost it all. The bible is clear in Proverbs 11:29 (ESV), Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. My decisions were killing me, holding me in a smothering grip of fear while promising one day all would be better. I remembered being told as a child to seek wise council which is written in Proverbs 11:14 (ESV), Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Feeling trapped in a state of helplessness, I decided to seek the church for help until the “what if” jumped into my mind with the thought of help not working out and my dirty past becoming public. But I really needed to speak to someone, and I did; I went to the very people which were part of my problem and sought counsel. This is how twisted my thinking was at that time, I thought these people were wise and it blew my mind when everything in life continued to get worse. Once again, I had reverted to the “what if” world.
Fortunately, there is a God! While watching tv with my morning drink of choice, God out of nowhere threw the thought in my head to take “what if” in the negative and compare it to “what if” in the positive. Guess what God revealed to me in a matter of minutes, there is no relevance, as “what if” is most always used to cast caution on a thought! It is my choice to use it in either case to determine my decisions which I shall carry all the weight of the consequences to suffer or enjoy. The Holy Spirit led me to Proverbs 11:8 (ESV), The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead. Everything seemed so simple, yet I was having trouble understanding what God wanted of me. But soon after this encounter He (God) took me back to the thought of wise counsel and I started to research the bible for an understanding of wise counsel. I learned in Proverbs 19:20-21 (ESV), 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Now, I’ve been known to be a little slow at times and on occasion even a little dense, but I got hold of this biblical concept instantly. I prayed, God sent, I’ve found maturity in Him through those that love Him. My relationship with Jesus increases each day with prayer, bible reading, and daily submission to the ways of Jesus. Today my only “what if” is, Wow! I have no more “what ifs.” They all belong to Jesus!
My prayer this week is that we all lose the what ifs and look to 2021 with these words in Isaiah 41:10 (ESV), fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. As we take solace in your words Lord may, we each find rest and peace in you during these troubled times. May we also be reminded that you have those out there which need to hear our voice and receive our touch, which is from you. Help each of us to fall a little deeper in love with you today! Amen
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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