“Freaked Out By The What Ifs”
Does anyone remember the old cassette tapes? The ones that would get stuck in the player and the entire cassette would come unraveled in your hand? I know there has got to be someone who reads this that knows what I am talking about. I think sometimes the “what if’s” in our mind can play so fast that if we can’t grasp hold of them, it starts to unravel us and fast !!!
I have to say there have been seasons in my life just like that! Where perhaps no one else saw it but mentally I couldn’t turn it off. The thoughts just kept reeling and reeling in my head and it became a real issue. I’m reminded of the two scriptures that I’ve shared below. I believe in these scriptures we able to grasp hold of the freedom we have in Christ when it comes to these “what if” moments that can take us under if dealt with swiftly.
Can we just sit and say we lack faith? Let’s just have a little transparency. Maybe we won’t admit it to others but for Heavens sake let’s just be honest with ourselves……
Most of us are so “spiritual” we have trouble admitting where we’ve fallen off the wagon in the area of faith.
My “what if’s” ,exposing my lack of faith, really have shined through in the last year. I’m sure yours have too! We all have had seasons where our God has allowed areas to be exposed that need spiritual attention. It’s what He does. He would not be a good father if He didn’t.
As God has allowed my “what if’s” to be exposed, He has also exposed my deep dependence of self. See what God did there… but He never exposes them to destroy me but to build me up!
You see if proposed in the proper perspective, the “what if” doesn’t seem to be so bad. I think it’s ok to think and ask God for wisdom in a season…..but it’s the fractured heart that often closely follows it that is!
Here are some that God has lovingly exposed to me so I could see my true heart…
“What if” …….so and so was elected?
“What if” …….the riots came to my town?
“What if” …….I can no longer meet together in church?
“What if” …….the grocery store ran out of food?
“What if” ……..I become deathly sick?
“What if” ……I can’t the buy the daily things I need?
……I could go on and on…..and on…..and on… you get the jest.
I think it could be helpful for us to write out all our “what if’s” out that we have and allow God to speak to the “what if”! Friend he can do just that. He has done that for me. Below I’ve listed just a few scriptures that speak to these “what ifs” I found myself stuck in.
Contrary to common church teaching it is ok to bring your request to God. He desires to speak to our “what ifs”.
“What if” so and so was elected?
God sets up kings and destroys them.- Daniel 2:21
God shuts the mouths of lions. He can turn the head of a king. -Daniel 6:22
“What if” the riots and anarchy break out and come to my town?
I would be a bridge builder- Mark 12:31
“What if” things get so tough that we are no longer allowed to meet together in a church?
Friend, church met in homes in Acts. Acts 5:42
Love this! What a wonderful reminder that God is ahead of and in charge of our what if’s!!
Sometimes.. we just have to let go of the fractiousness of our own mind… My what ifs just seem to get longer and longer if I don’t just let them go and not carry them.