Living in the ‘Land of What-If’

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

When my son was younger (and still occasionally nowadays) he would ask many of the proverbial ‘what-if’ questions. You know the questions I’m sure. They start with the two words ‘what-if’ and are finished with the concern De jour. There was a time in his life when these questions seem to consume his entire day. Maybe it’s a method of learning that I missed somewhere in my growing up years.  Often, in my plan to re-direct his line of questioning I would simply declare to him: “I don’t live in the ‘land of what-if’.

Sometimes it worked in changing his attention and sometimes it didn’t.

I think as believers we can be like that as well.

Instead of handing our worries and cares over to God we play them out in our mind.

What if that spot is cancer?

What if I am in the next round of lay-offs?

What if my son isn’t accepted at that school?

It can become almost like a ‘faith in reverse’, a ‘negative’ faith if you will.

The next time you find yourself in the ‘land of what-if’, here’s a remedy.

Begin to speak and meditate on Philippians 4:6-7 posted above.

My prayer is that it moves you from the ‘land of what-if’ into the Kingdom of God.