What If…

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If you prefer to read this message, I provided the words below:

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What if you don’t watch this message (or read it)? What if walking away from this message causes you to walk into something else that will be bad for you? What if you do watch this video (or read the message below) and it changes it your life forever? What if 20 minutes would enhance the rest of your life? What if this message helps you to save someone else’s life? What if?

Prayer:
GOD, please open our hearts and minds to receive this message. Holy Spirit, please convict us and compel us to apply this message to our lives. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. 

[Read: Exodus 4:1-17]

Prior to this passage, Moses had been chosen by GOD to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and set them free from slavery. Moses expressed his doubts and provided some reasons (excuses) as to why he shouldn’t be chosen and why he wasn’t the right person for the task. In this particular passage, Moses protested yet again and asked the age-old question of “What if—”.

Think: how many times have you asked yourself that same question? How many times have you decided not to do something because you imagined multiple scenarios of what may or may not happen? Consider this: what if you ‘what if’ yourself into failure? What if you ‘what if’ yourself to death? What if you talk yourself out of doing something amazing and/or life changing? What if you don’t take action and then something bad happens to someone or others? There have been many times I regretted not saying or doing something when I should have spoken up or taken action. And I’m not the only one. 

On February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and shot and killed multiple students. According to witnesses who spent time around Nikolas in school, he had been severely bullied. In an interview with the Miami Herald, a fellow 17-year-old student, Manolo Alvarez, admitted that he regretted not speaking up or doing something about it; he saw the wrong yet did nothing about it. And though Manolo is able to find forgiveness and release from his guilt — and he should accept forgiveness and release his guilt — I do pray that he learned from his mistake. The shooting at Stoneman Douglas High is just one example of what happens when we ‘what if’ ourselves into ‘inactivity.’ 

A lot of people will choose not to say or do something because they convince themselves that they’re simply choosing to do nothing, but they’re only fooling themselves — it’s impossible to do nothing. Try it. Even while you’re trying to do nothing, you will inevitably do something, whether it’s breathing, blinking, or battling a particular thought, trying to think of something else in order to escape or avoid another thought. It’s impossible to do nothing. Everything we do is something. And sometimes that something means everything to someone else. You can choose not to decide, but then you have still made a choice. What if your decision to do ‘nothing’ turns into a reason that everything goes wrong? 

Watch the video (below):

Now, this video was purposely created to call attention to bullying and also prevent shootings; however, the importance of this message goes far beyond merely saving lives. This is about the salvation of souls! Our actions have eternal consequences! All the major reports detailing characteristics of Nikolas Cruz documented that he was ostracized, didn’t fit in, and was essentially made to feel as if he didn’t belong in this world. Just like the background kid in the Sandy Hook Promise video (above), no one really noticed him or even cared to notice him. But sadly, those who did notice him were unloving toward him.

Be honest with yourself: do you try to notice those who need to be loved the most? Are you aware of how many people in this world feel invisible and insignificant? There are too many people who feel as if they don’t belong and their lives are pointless. What if you said something to them that could change their lives forever? In connection with my other message, “REALationships,” I want to ask you an important question: what would you do? What if you did something for them that would drastically alter their direction in life? What if you helped guide them to a better and more joyful place? 

In Exodus 4:2, GOD asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” Think about it! Moses basically told GOD he couldn’t do what GOD was asking him to do because he didn’t have what he needed to be able to do it. But GOD essentially asked Moses, “What do you already possess? You keep bringing up excuses for the things you don’t have, but you haven’t even acknowledged what you do have. What’s in your hand?” In 4:6, the Lord instructs Moses to put his hand inside his cloak in order to experience a miracle. All he had to do was reach inside! And once he did, he saw that the miracle was in his hands! What can you find if you reach inside? Everything you need is already within you! GOD often delights in using the ordinary for extraordinary purposes. What are the ordinary things in your life you already have that you can use? Your voice (speaker)? A pen (writer)? Hammer (carpenter)? Shovel (construction)? Broom (cleaner)? Musical instrument (musician)? Computer (engineer)? Or perhaps it’s your very hands (sculptor)? Truly, all Moses needed was GOD. When we reach deep down inside, what we find is GOD.

In 1Thessalonians 5:19, Paul instructs us not to quench the Spirit. The word “quench” is taken from the Greek word sbennumi, which means to extinguish, smother, suppress, douse, put out, snuff out, or to quell. It most often means to extinguish a fire by dousing it with water. In some places, it means to evaporate or to dry up. So, what was Paul telling the church (and us)? He was telling us that we have the greatest gift we could ever need or want already within us – the Holy Spirit! But if we ignore the Holy Spirit’s voice or promptings long enough and often enough, we will eventually become desensitized and calloused to His voice and guidance. It will be like His voice evaporates or dries up, and we won’t hear Him anymore! 

You need to know and understand that your own actions, fears, insecurities, and disobedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit can thwart the plan of GOD for your life if you allow it to do so. And not just your life — everything you do affects others too! What if you allow your actions, fears, insecurities, or disobedience to steer you in the wrong direction? It’s easy for us to place our focus on our insecurities or inabilities, but if GOD asks us to do something, then He will help us accomplish the given task. If the job requires us to overcome our weaknesses, we can trust that GOD will provide words, strength, courage, and ability where needed. GOD will provide (Genesis 22:8,14; 45:11; Ezekiel 34:29; 1Corinthians 10:13)!

Every time you say “no” to the Voice telling you to say or do something in order to love someone or others, you throw water on the Holy Spirit’s fire. However, every time you say “yes” to the Voice, you add more fuel to the fire and keep it burning. Every time you ‘what if’ yourself into ‘inactivity,’ you are quenching the Spirit. You should be asking yourself this question: “What if I don’t say or do something and my fire gets extinguished?”

In 4:8-9, GOD essentially instructs Moses, “If this, then I AM.” GOD basically told Moses, “Always follow an ‘if’ by a ‘then.’ You need to understand that I AM is the Source and the Source is the Solution. Eliminate excuses and you will discover solutions. Always follow a ‘what if‘ by GOD.” 

In 4:10, Moses conjured up yet another excuse: he didn’t speak well. And what was GOD’s response? “Who makes a person’s mouth?” Moses presented an ‘if’ and GOD presented a ‘then’ — all ‘ifs’ lead to a ‘then GOD’ solution.
“What if ___?”
“Then GOD…”
“But what if ____?”
“Then GOD…”
What if… GOD…

In 4:13, Moses, having no more excuses, simply asked to be excused. In verse 14, GOD became angry with Moses because he made his decision out from fear rather than love. May we always be reminded that GOD has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline and that we should never be afraid to love others (2Timothy 1:7-8). And may we also always be reminded that perfect love casts out all fear (1John 4:18)!

The message of depth beyond the surface is this: if GOD will lead you to it, GOD will get you through it! Moses eventually learns this lesson when he comes to what seems like a dead end at the Red Sea, only for GOD to provide him with the way to get through it all (Exodus 14:16). And if the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to help you see someone who needs love, GOD brought you to that situation for a breakthrough. Maybe GOD desires to lead you to an undesirable place in order to provide an unloved person with a desired breakthrough. With the Holy Spirit working in and through you, you can provide the answer that someone’s been searching for all his/her life! There are a lot of people who think they have come to a dead end in life. But the Truth is this: with GOD, all things are possible! GOD can open doors no one else can open and no one can ever shut that door once GOD has opened it (Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7-8). Will you ‘what if’ yourself into ‘inactivity’ and quench the Spirit or will you speak up and reach out to those who need love the most? Let’s examine a “then GOD” moment from the book of Mark:

“So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. ‘How long has this been happening?’ Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, ‘Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.’ ‘What do you mean, “If I can”?” Jesus asked. Anything is possible if a person believes.’ The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. ‘Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak’ he said. ‘I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!’ Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.”
(Mark 9:20-27) -NLT

If? Nothing is impossible for GOD! If you’re going to ask the “what if” question, finish the question the right way: “What if I bring this situation to GOD and believe in Him to do awesome work?”

“Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
(Genesis 18:14) -ESV

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”
(Jeremiah 32:27) -ESV

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ”
(Matthew 19:26) -ESV

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
(Luke 1:37) -ESV

“But he said, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’ ”
(Luke 18:27) -ESV

What if you started noticing everyone who needed love the most? What if you responded in obedience by loving those people? What if you believed GOD to work through your obedience? What if you are the reason someone decides not to commit suicide? (If you struggle with suicide, see my other article, “What About Suicide?“) What if you are the reason someone decides not to shoot classmates in school? What if you are the reason a married couple decides to stay together instead of getting a divorce? What if you’re watching/reading this because GOD wants you to know that you’re chosen to help set people free from bondage and captivity? Slavery still exists and many people are in bondage even though they believe they’re free. What if you can help release them from bondage? What if? Then GOD. And if GOD is in it, you’re going to win it. 

Challenge yourself: Every time you catch yourself asking the ‘what if‘ question in a negative way, force yourself to write out a few ‘what if‘ scenarios with a positive, optimistic, uplifting and faith-filled focus. Think about it: what if you refuse to ‘what if‘ yourself into failure? What if you refuse to ‘what if‘ yourself to death? What if GOD blesses your action(s) and does an awesome work through you? What if? But what if GOD…?