What if...

What ifs are a natural part of life. We all have them. "What if I had just been there..." "What if I had worked just a little harder..." "What if I was taller...or a baller...or had a girl who looked good I would call her" ha That was a mid 90's reference to Skee-lo. Anyways, I digress. We all have these what ifs in life, but tend not to question the important things.

Let's take faith for example. I think about when I accepted Christ. What if I had not been there that Sunday when I heard the message and responded? Where would I be? Would I be saved? Some would say yes, absolutely, others would not be so sure. I think about things that keep people from accepting Christ. "What if this event hadn't happened? What If they were there that Sunday and heard the Gospel? The what ifs seem to go on and on. But one we don't tend to think about, that I think affects both Christian and non Christian is this: What if God loved us as we love Him?

That's a terrible thought to have. We don't understand His love. We don't understand "unconditional" love. We have so many conditions, so many reciprocal expectations when it comes to Human love. We do the same with God. We expect good things from Him. This is a good expectation as the Bible says He is a God we can and should expect things from. And He is generous in His blessing constantly. But it's not always the blessings we were expecting or wanting, and so we miss it. We miss it, and we start to point fingers. We first point fingers and Him, and when that fails (and it always does) we start looking at ourselves and what we need to do or change or what we can say or how we can manipulate God to do what we want!

"God...what if I read my Bible everyday for a year? Will you give me Blank?" "What if I pray more? Will I get this?" Rarely do we take an inventory of issues in our lives that God wants us to address. Sin. Things that cause separation in our relationship with Him. We don't want to think about that. However, I think when we truly take an inventory of the blessings and curses in our lives...and then we go back and add all the blessings we take for granted (life, air, sunlight, A/C, clothes, food, relationships, cars, money, jobs, homes, et cetera et cetera) we would always have more blessings than not. This is because we serve a God that unconditionally loves us and gives good gifts to His children.

But what if...what if He chose to love us as we love Him? Chose to turn His back on us when we didn't obey Him like we do when He doesn't give us what we want? What if He chose to be upset with us and stop loving us when we didn't read His word or spend time with Him like we do if some situation doesn't go our way? It sounds silly, and pointless because these What ifs are not possible, but it does make a point, a point when can Thank God for. Thank God He isn't us. He is like us...He made us in His image, but we fall miserably in comparison. And yet...He loves us! He truly, 100%, at all times Loves us! Even when we make bad decisions, (which is often) He loves us. Even, and get this, even when we Don't love Him, He loves us!

So take all those "What ifs" and turn them into "Thanks to God" for His wonderful love, and lets spend our time on something more useful, like being in His word, spending time with Him in prayer, and doing His work in sharing with us the live saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

You with me?

-Brian