What if…?

That’s the question that pains so many people when worried or anxious or stressed.

What if something bad happens?

What if the things I fear come true?

What if all these problems overwhelm me?

What if they stop playing “Friends” reruns on cable TV?

What if they stop running cable TV?

What if… what if…

The mantra of the worrywart.

The thing is, rarely do all these “what if” moments ever come to pass.  No wonder Jesus tells us not to worry, for worry cannot add one single hour to our lives.  In fact, worry does just the opposite: it steals our joy, robs us of our time, saps our energy, confuses our focus…

Steals.  Robs.  Saps.  Confuses.  Who does that sound like?  Certainly not God.

Let’s turn this “what if” questioning around and reframed our thoughts.

What if God showed up at just the right time in this situation?

What if these trials are meant to strengthen me.

What if the situation isn’t anywhere near as dire as I fear it may be?

What if I understood that God is in control, sovereign over all?  What if I realized I am not in control of the results and have to be?

What if I accepted that I am human, I make mistakes, and that is ok?

What if I knew for sure this storm will pass without destroying me?

What if I recognized Who God is, that He loves me and will never abandon me?

What if my faith in the Lord were so great that it swelled up and over every aspect of my life and drowned all the worry and anxiety?

What if I just started being brave, refusing to doubt, and letting my weakness be God’s strength?

What if I just stopped worrying and started trusting the Lord and resting in Christ?

And… what if they dropped those old “Friends” episodes?  There’s always “The Andy Griffith Show”.

Consider the “what if” questions and begin retooling them.  Know God is at work in you.  Rest.  Relax.  Let Jesus refresh you, shape you, inform your thinking.  Trust God and watch Him work.  You will find great blessing when you choose to seek first God and His kingdom.