‘What If…’ Don’t Count - Robert Schaetzle
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, for this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge. 2 Peter 1:3,5 ESV
One morning something came up about a situation that concerned my daughters-in-law. She was not necessarily fearful but wanted us to be more mindful of our safety. I was thankful for her concerns. My daughter-in-law, who I love dearly, asked, “But Dad, what if…?” She looks in on us every day to know how we’re doing. My wife and I are in our 80's, and we’re blessed with much gratitude and love for how our children devotedly watch over us.
My children are not necessarily where we are, yet, able to fully recognize the preeminence of God’s power, grace, and resources at a Christians disposal. But then, neither were we at their age.
The Bible teaches we overcome our fears over time like a baby starts with milk and then goes on to solid food. (Hebrews 5:12-13) The renewal of our minds is gradual, in our introduction to living by faith instead of sight. Building faith over fear is God’s process, not something we should try to control and manipulate. ‘What if’ is transformed into trust in the Lord as we move in time from the ‘safe zone,’ to the ‘faith zone.’ This is where we find ourselves leaning fully upon God’s sufficiency and promises.
When we come to a determined decision in our life to receive and live through the power of God’s preeminent authority, we learn we must do as God teaches, being a doer of God’s word. (James1:22). As we feed ourselves daily on the solid foundation of our Lord’s teachings and heed His word, we can let go of the fear of ‘what if.” Fix your eyes on Jesus and be patient.
Father, teach us all, to remove ‘what if’ from our vocabulary.
Robert lives in Sunnyvale, CA and serves in a Sharing and Caring Ministry. Contact
