What If . . .?

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Recently, I was thinking about the big universal organization we are all members of, like it or not. It’s the “WIC” — better known as the “What If Club.” I’m sure you know it well; you get a speeding ticket while traveling home a different way than usual. “What if I had just driven home using my normal route, this never would have happened.”

You eat at a new restaurant and the unusual dish you ordered tastes a little ‘zingy,’ but you eat it anyway. You wind up in the bathroom all night with food poisoning and think, “What if I had just ordered a hamburger like everyone else?! What was I thinking?” Sadly, both of the examples above-mentioned were taken right out of my playbook.

But, on the other hand, what if we never take risks? What if we never try that new restaurant with an unfamiliar name and unusual food? What if we never go for the long shots, what if we stay home and play it safe? I love Henrik Ibsen’s take on the what if topic: “What if I did run my ship aground; still, it was splendid to sail it.” Ha! What a great line!

One of my all-time favorite Bible characters is Moses – what a guy. As the saying goes, he was “brave, courageous and bold.” Once he got hold of God, he pressed forward with a passion and zeal unlike anyone else of his generation.

What if Moses had not stood up to Pharaoh for the release of the Hebrew nation? What if Moses had not listened carefully to God and not parted the Red Sea for a breathtaking escape for those same people?? And what if Moses had not taken the time to be God’s inspired writer and not penned the first five books of the Bible? We would be missing a lot of great history, not to mention that famous line: “In the beginning…”

Just for conversation, let’s move forward a bit in history: what if William Booth (a Christian) had never established The Salvation Army? What if Danny Thomas (another Christian) had not founded St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital which treats over 7,500 sick children each year?! What if Billy Graham had never stepped out to hold evangelistic crusades, eventually preaching the gospel in-person to over 80 million people in his lifetime. That’s a lot of ears!

And finally, what if Millard and Linda Fuller, (both Christians) had not founded Habitat for Humanity, stepping up to the plate to create a remarkable organization, helping people the world over with housing?! Here’s how Millard views life’s journey: “I see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help His people in need.”

What if Fuller is right? What if each of us has a responsibility to step out and use our God-given talents and resources for excellent vs. sitting on our duffs watching life sail by?!
So let’s update this one more time and throw each of ‘us’ into this equation. Check out this quote by Steve Goodier: “What if today you gave yourself to be outrageously kind? What if you extended as much goodwill and kindness as you can muster to every person you meet? And what if you did it with no thought of reward? I’m sure of one thing: it will be a day you will never regret.”

PS: And if you live your ‘what if’s’ this way, I can guarantee that your entire life will be one you will never regret, not just a day!


Pastors Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet. For more information visit them at www.dpcitychurch.com

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