I was preparing for a medical procedure last week, and the what if's were flying at me fast and furious.
What if they find cancer
What if I don't wake up for the anesthesia
What if they find blockages
What if they give me the worst possible news
When the what ifs assail you, it's time for an action plan.
How do you overcome what if's?
By taking them to God in prayer.
When I got sick of the what if's, I got on my knees and prayed. Here is what my prayer revealed.
"Daughter, I don't dangle suffering over my children."
Immediately after hearing that peaceful message, I was reminded of a powerful scripture in Luke 11:11-13 (MSG).
"If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"
Do you dangle what if's over your children? Like:
Hey Tommy, what if you wake up in the morning with sickness? That would suck!
Hey Sarah, what if you get betrayed today by a friend? Watch your back.
Hey Carl, what if you get into a car accident today? It's possible.
Hey, Lilly, what if you fall and break a bone today?
I realized I would never speak to my children like that, so why would God? If I am a sinful, imperfect parent, then how much better is a perfect caring God?
The moral of the story, God is good. He doesn't try to scare you with suffering. Now, I'm not saying that suffering won't happen in life. We know that the Bible says trials, suffering, and pain will come. However, if we turn to Him during it, we will find the grace, power, and strength to get through it.
Don't waste any more time on what if fears. They are not from God.
Instead, turn those what if fears into even if statements.
What if they find cancer
God, I know what if fears are not from you. I will trust you with my life. Even if cancer comes my way, I know you will be there to guide me every step of the way. I believe you are good. You are my faithful armor and protection. I will NOT be afraid.
What if I don't wake up from the anesthesia
God, I know what if fears are not from you. Even if I don't wake up, I know you are working all things together for my good. Every second of my life is planned out before you. You know when I will live and when I will die. I believe in a long life that satisfies because your Word says so. I will NOT be afraid.
With love,
If this message spoke to your heart, please consider sharing it with a friend. I'd love to encourage you to share it so social media as well; you never know who on your feed is suffering and needs to read some encouragement. Thank you, friend.
When you flip your what ifs, you free your mind from negative thinking. Any negative thinkers reading this know just how hard it is to release the bad thoughts for life giving ones. It often feels like those voices are much louder and isolate you. We believe in the power of using God's Word to transform our minds and thought life which is why we created our conference Freedom Thoughts.
We can share with certainty that you are not alone in struggling with a negative thought life. Gather your community today and allow our team to take you through the mind-changing practice of Freedom Thoughts. If you're interested in hosting this conference fill out the form here, we'd love to serve you and your community.
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