What Is

Have any of these thoughts or anything like them ever gone through your head?

"What if things had been different?"
"What if something bad happens?"
"What if someone dies?"
"What if I had done that instead?"
"What if I had studied more?"
"What if I had taken that opportunity? (or hadn't?)"

All of these thoughts (in perhaps more detail) have gone through my head at one time or another. I have at time agonized over the what ifs; both future and past. It causes me anxiousness when I think about the what ifs of the future and it causes me regret if I think in the past.

We imagine terrible things will happen in the future we think, "If I make this decision or if I hadn't made that decision in the past, maybe things would be better. Guys I have news for you. You don't know! Furthermore, you can't control the future or the past. (As much as we may want to.)

God does know the future and the past and what would have happened if you had made a different decision. He knows it all.

I have been thinking about this a lot and I would like to make a suggestion. I think that perhaps our constant obsession with the what ifs of life (past and future) comes from a root of sin. I want to control things. It means I am not trusting God. It means I lack faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." If I am stressing about the future that sure doesn't sound like faith.

I'm going to take it a step further. If I do not trust God with my future I am being prideful thinking that I have control over my future or that if that tragedy hadn't happened I would be better off. Clearly I know best right? Wrong!

Living in the what ifs robs me of the joy of what is. I don't see the blessings of the present if I am looking towards the past or the future. There are several scriptures that talk about not living in the past or the future.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead" Philippians 4:13

Not only do these two scriptures talk about not focusing on the future or the past. But the scripture around them talks about what we are to do. So here are the verses again with a little more context.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34

"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Jesus Christ." Philippians 4:13-14

What do these verses have in common? The both remind us to focus on Christ. If we focus on our triune God. The One who was and is and is to come, then we won't need to think about the what ifs.

There is a reason that God is called the I AM. He is what is. Everything else is just a distraction.



"I have learned to be content with whatever the circumstances" Philippians 4:11