Day 48: What If?
I’d like to tell you about one of the most dangerous places I have ever been, the corner of worry and regret. I call it the “what if.” When I’m here, I start asking an endless amount of “what if” questions. Many of them are geared towards future possibilities, some of them expose trials of the past. I ask things like “What if I fail this test?” “What if I would have treated that person better?” “What if my efforts are in vain?”
As you can see, negativity is the headliner to each of these. I soon realized these “what if” questions were poisoning my mentality. I was allowing them to interfere with my trust in the Lord. They barricaded my mindset, and set me up for a daily pattern of anxiety and panic. I have spent weeks telling myself to not ask what if questions, knowing the toll it has taken on my life.
However, just recently, I have been reminded by both the Lord and very trusted people in my life, that sometimes we should ask the “what if’s.” Maybe it’s not such a bad thing. We simply have to learn how to send our questions in the right direction. Maybe our worry and doubt can be transformed into hope and confidence. “What if God has a different plan I am unaware of?” “What if this just needs more time?” The truth is, the future and the past are not in our control. Remain confident you are in the hands of a good good God.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13
Question:
What “what if” questions are you asking that can transform to reflect your trust in God?
Prayer:
Jesus, I pray my doubts and anxiety are washed away by the certainty that my life is in your hands. Transform my “what if” questions to reflect the endless possibilities that I find in you, my almighty Savior. Amen.