Genesis 15:2 But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”.
“The ‘what-ifs’ and ‘should haves’ will eat your brain.” – John O’Callaghan.
Almost ten years had passed since the Lord promised to bless Abraham yet there was no sign of a child to inherit the wealth that he had accumulated. When there is a delay in the fulfilment of the promises we are faced with “what if” questions. What if I never have a child? What if my marriage doesn’t work out? What if my health never gets better? What if I never get a job? “‘What-if’ = Fear but ‘Even-if’ = Faith”. ‘What-if’ questions inflame fear. Fear can impair the formation of long-term memories and cause damage to certain parts of the brain. Fear can really eat your brain! Constant fear and anxiety can cause accelerated aging and even premature death.
‘What if’ questions will come to us as rational reasoning and analysis but will replace faith with fear. ‘What-if’ thoughts are suggestive. It will suggest the second-best alternatives. Abraham was suggesting alternative solutions to their barrenness. He was mentally preparing to pass on his enormous wealth to his sincere servant Eliezer. However, Abraham did not stress about the “what-ifs” nor did he debate these faith-draining questions with his friends. He asked the Lord, “what-if” my situation does not change? (paraphrased). The Lord assured him that there is a nation hidden in his loins. Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).
Three lessons from the life of Abraham who turned ‘what-ifs’ into ‘even-ifs’:
- Believed: Abraham believed in the impossible because God had spoken. During the pre-medieval period, the average marriage age for a man was around 20 and a woman was about 15 years. The Lord God promised him a child at the age of 75 years. Abraham and Sarah waited for about 80 years to have a baby and around 25 years for the promise to be fulfilled. Faith and trust in God’s promise will morph the ‘what-ifs’ into ‘even-ifs’.
- Obeyed: Abraham obeyed God despite the ‘what-ifs’ in his life. The top five reasons for disobedience are: 1) Fear, 2) Impatience, 3) Opinions/Suggestions of others, 4) Unbelief and 5) People pleasing. The reward of obedience is always at the backend. Since Abraham had no children, he left his country with his nephew Lot. Yet, as their livestock and flock multiplied, the Lord moved Lot away from Abraham. Obedience requires stepping out of our comfort zone and letting go of worldly securities. Obedience will replace the ‘what-ifs’ with ‘even-ifs’.
- Worshipped: Abraham worshipped God throughout his journey of waiting. Waiting without worshipping will result in stress and panic. Calm down the surge of ‘what-ifs’ by worshipping the Lord. Worship Him when there are no signs of the breakthrough. It is our worship that breaks through into the door of blessings.
Trust, obedience, and worship will overturn ‘what-if’ into ‘even-if’ and ‘fear’ into ‘faith’.
James 2:23 “Abraham believed God…and he was called a friend of God.
Prayer: Pappa God, when life derails me with ‘what-if’ questions, give me the sharpness to bounce back with ‘even-if’ reasoning rather than why, how or when. Amen.
Leave a Reply