What If?

I was talking with my doctor last week and asked several questions in quick succession, all beginning with What If?  My doctor simply responded:

Stop dealing in the What Ifs.

I am blessed to have a Christian doctor who knows me fairly well.  He has seen me through quite a bit - illness, divorce, raising Josh on my own, major stress, and now another illness that as of yet is undiagnosed.  I have cried on his shoulder many times, and still he reminds me:

Stop dealing in the What Ifs.

In many circumstances, What If is a prudent question.  What if it rains today, should I send a raincoat with my kids to school? What if we use a less expensive option on materials for a project, will the project suffer? What if I go on a date and the guy is creepy, should I pretend to go to the ladies' room  and slip out the door? (Yes, this is a valid What If question for me.)

As a Christ follower, I am to trust God in all circumstances. He invites me to His throne to pray for His direction, protection, provision and healing in my life circumstances. By praying, I am to relinquish control to the the Father. 

However, by asking What If after I have been on my knees in prayer, I am assuming control of the outcome and removing God from the situation. 

Jesus said:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 NIV)

With a promise like that, why should I ever want to regain control? God wants to provide for us, His significant and precious children, more than we can ask, think or imagine. Because of this, I must remind myself to replace What If with...

Amen.