What If...?
Debby DeStefano
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace
of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of
good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Philippians 4:6-8
What if I don’t get that job? What if I get a bad diagnosis? What if my children stray from God? What if I lose my home? What if someone hurts me? What if I fail? What if ……….. We have all played the “What if” game. It’s only human nature, but it’s when we keep rehearsing the “What ifs” in our mind with no answers in sight that it becomes dangerous.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
Do you know that statistics show that 85-90% of the things that people worry about never happen? That is pretty staggering, isn’t it? That’s a lot of wasted worry and emotions over nothing. How much precious time and energy do we use up worrying and fretting over things that most likely will never happen? Sad, given the fact that we already complain about having precious little time in our lives.
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Matthew 6:34
There are many people in the Bible who said “What if.” Remember when God told Moses that He wanted him to lead the children of Israel, and Moses said, “but Lord what if they don’t want to follow me?” How about when Joseph’s brothers went to him in Egypt during the famine and they said, “what if our brother holds what we did to him against us?” And then there were the Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They asked, “what if the flames consume us?” But look at their response below in Daniel 3:17-18. They changed the “what if” into “even if.”
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Daniel 3:17-18
So, it looks like it is all about our response. How will you respond even if the worst happens? We need to change our minds and hearts to say, “no matter what happens in my life Lord, I will trust You.” Wow, I have to admit that that is not easy, is it? Putting our total faith and trust in Him no matter what our circumstances. We pray and ask God to remove the storms from our lives (and we should) but sometimes like the picture in our counseling room says, “Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.” So what storm are you in today? Are you rehearsing the “what ifs?” Have you yielded to His way? Have you placed your life and trust into His hands? Do you have faith in Him? Do you trust Him? Let’s change our “What If” into “Even If!”.
Psalms 18:2
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
Habakkuk 3:17-18
(What if) “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (Even if) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
1 Peter 5:7
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
About the Author
Debby, the daughter of our church founder, has dedicated her life to serving God at Fairwinds Baptist Church. Now a retired pastor's wife, she continues to inspire us with uplifting devotionals, choosing joy despite her health struggles. Her unwavering faith enriches our community and reflects our mission to know God through Jesus Christ.
