Key Scripture:
"Don't fret or worry about anything, instead of
worrying, pray. Let petitions and
praises shape your worries into prayers.... before you know it, a sense of
God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you
down. Philippians 4:6, The Message
Power Point:
What if you were to
ask yourself the question "What if?" in every situation instead of
"Why me?"
My friend Julie and I
were talking about a principle that we heard from Graham Cooke recently. He was speaking with a lady who was quite
nervous about beginning a new job. She
was excited but definitely concerned about possible problems that could lie
ahead. Graham asked her, "Well what
if that (whatever she was afraid of) doesn't happen? What if this happens instead?" Since she was firmly entrenched in the negative
possibilities, Graham's question shifted her focus to the power of God's
possibilities. He spent the next few moments addressing each of her issues and
asking her the question "But what if this happened instead?"
Fortunately she "caught on" and entirely changed her perspective. All
her fear and anxiety vanished, and she actually became excited to see what God
would do!
Julie and I have
begun to play the "What if" game.
Whenever we find ourselves "concerned", (that's the Christian
word for worry!), we ask ourselves, "Well, what if that didn't
happen, but what if this happened instead?”
God is actually the
initiator of the "What if?" game He always encourages us to look for
His potential in any situation. His promises to us are GOOD news. In fact, He promises that he will always cause
beauty to come from ashes. He gives us joy instead of mourning, and
praise instead of a spirit of heaviness.
You may have something
that you are dreading or "concerned" about today. You might find your thoughts leading to all
the negative possibilities available to you.
But, just for a moment, what if you changed the direction of those
thoughts? "What if" that very thing became
bathed in God's possibilities instead.
What if the very
thing you are dreading opened up new doors of opportunity instead?
What if God really showed up and did what He promised you that He would do instead of leaving you on your own?
What if you began to focus on the "What if's?" instead
of the "Oh no’s"
What if you really began to think like Jesus and became
more confident in what your Father says than what your situation says?
What if your
impossibility became proof of the unlimited potential of the possibilities of
God?
What if, instead of doubting, you believed instead?
What if, this situation is REALLY in God's loving control, and He REALLY is
working it out for your good?
What if the power of God is setting you up for victory instead
of failure?
What if you never had anything to fear again, because you
understood that God is on your side and He's got your back?
What if...?
Power Thought: