What If?
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3
I grew up hearing a phrase that goes like this. “The Lord looks out after fools and children”. As I look back on my almost 50 years of revolving around the sun I can see some truth in that, especially since I am no longer a child. I often look back over my life and wonder what if… What if I had made a different decision, what if I had made a better choice, what if that (fill in the blank) had not occurred?
Life is full of what if’s. It is also easy to get caught up in the what if’s of not only the past, but the future. We often sit and ponder the what if’s that have already occurred or will more than likely never occur and if they do we have little to no control over. We often allow these “what if’s” to dominate our hearts that ultimately affect our actions. They can drive us into worry and despair and a sense of hopelessness. When this happens we operate out of an unrealistic fear that hinders us from experiencing the joy that God sets before us in the new life that He has given simply because of past what if’s or potential future what if’s that will probably never occur anyway.
Instead we need to take a big hint from the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3. He begins with the word IF. When we consider what he says next it gives us a better “if” to consider. He says if we have been raised with Christ, then we are His. Our lives are hidden with Him and the old has died, meaning the worst that could ever happen to us, Jesus took care of on the Cross. He then says if this is true then our hope is not in uncertain what if’s, but in the certainty of Jesus. If so, we should set our minds on the things above, eternal things. Things such as the grace God has given and is giving. Things such as God’s great love for us and others and how we might express that to a world that desperately needs it.
Instead of getting hung up on the scary what if’s may we consider things differently. What if we strive to be bold in sharing Jesus? What if we are abundantly generous? What if we are eager to consider others before ourselves? What if God uses you, your family, our church in an incredible way to radically transform your home, your work, our community and beyond? Those are the kinds of what if’s to be consumed by.
What if!
I grew up hearing a phrase that goes like this. “The Lord looks out after fools and children”. As I look back on my almost 50 years of revolving around the sun I can see some truth in that, especially since I am no longer a child. I often look back over my life and wonder what if… What if I had made a different decision, what if I had made a better choice, what if that (fill in the blank) had not occurred?
Life is full of what if’s. It is also easy to get caught up in the what if’s of not only the past, but the future. We often sit and ponder the what if’s that have already occurred or will more than likely never occur and if they do we have little to no control over. We often allow these “what if’s” to dominate our hearts that ultimately affect our actions. They can drive us into worry and despair and a sense of hopelessness. When this happens we operate out of an unrealistic fear that hinders us from experiencing the joy that God sets before us in the new life that He has given simply because of past what if’s or potential future what if’s that will probably never occur anyway.
Instead we need to take a big hint from the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3. He begins with the word IF. When we consider what he says next it gives us a better “if” to consider. He says if we have been raised with Christ, then we are His. Our lives are hidden with Him and the old has died, meaning the worst that could ever happen to us, Jesus took care of on the Cross. He then says if this is true then our hope is not in uncertain what if’s, but in the certainty of Jesus. If so, we should set our minds on the things above, eternal things. Things such as the grace God has given and is giving. Things such as God’s great love for us and others and how we might express that to a world that desperately needs it.
Instead of getting hung up on the scary what if’s may we consider things differently. What if we strive to be bold in sharing Jesus? What if we are abundantly generous? What if we are eager to consider others before ourselves? What if God uses you, your family, our church in an incredible way to radically transform your home, your work, our community and beyond? Those are the kinds of what if’s to be consumed by.
What if!
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