What if … ?

I am fascinated by the questions of children. What if the house were upside down? What would it look like with the roof on the ground and the basement above the living area? What if we could walk up the wall and across the ceiling? These were questions that captured my mind as a child. These questions seem silly now that I am an adult, but my mind has not stopped asking the question, “What if… .?

Children’s creative and passionate belief is fascinating. They do not believe in limitations. Children can imagine things that adults consider ridiculous and implausible. This ability to imagine so vividly seems to be because they have not yet learned to call things impossible. They believe that they can do anything. As an adult, I tend to view the world as a place of guardrails and impossibilities. I think that this difference is in part because adults have stopped asking the question, “What if?”

Do you ever think about the question, “What if… .?” The list of things that can go after the “if” is endless. I guess I like to enquire. Thorough consideration causes me to discover what I believe. I begin to analyze if my beliefs are platitudes or action steps.

This examination helps us to see the areas where our understanding is lacking. Asking, “What if … .?” helps us consider possibilities we would otherwise ignore. Considering these possibilities enables us to plan for the future. The answers we come to empower us to have a vision, to plan, and to take steps toward accomplishing our goals.

During this time of reduced social interaction, I ask, “What if I focused on improving my skills in another language? What if I worked on being healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually? What if I worked on improving my blogging? How would my life change?

If I viewed my blog as a ministry to others, how would that change my writing? If I work on living further in God’s shadow than I ever have before, how would that change the way I live my life?

The question, “What if?’ opens up all kinds of possibilities for me. What if I acted like I believed what I claim to believe?

Acting on the answer you arrive at after asking the question can be scary. Making the changes that your “What if?” questioning reveals are needed may be a lot of work.

The birth of this blog was the result of asking, “What if?” I began asking questions like, “What if I could write a successful blog how would that change things for me?”, “What if people want to read what I write?” and “What if it is not crazy to think I have something other people want?”

I find that asking, “What if?” is a great way to start problem-solving. Once my wife and I were babysitting a two-year-old boy. He stubbornly determined that he would not nap. We tried everything, we rocked him, we read a story, made sure he was clean, laid him down, but nothing was working. I was getting desperate. Finally, I thought, “What if I trick him into going to sleep?” I suggested to him that he and I play a game called, “Who can keep their eyes closed the longest.” He willingly participated, and shortly he was sound asleep.

Personal interactions can also benefit from the use of “What if?” I was in my early twenties when I became the pastor of a church. Being young, recently out of college, and tasked with leading this church, I felt the need to be able to give answers. One day one of my parishioners came to see me about a problem they were facing. Fortunately, that day my “what if” thoughts activated, and I thought, “What if I just listened instead of trying to solve the problem or defend the church?” I listened. I learned about the individual and quickly realized this person needed me to hear them more than they needed me to give them an answer or take action.

I have thought a lot about this, “What if?” question as it affects me as a follower of Jesus Christ. I guess the question is, “What would happen if I lived like I genuinely believed all the teachings of Jesus Christ? How would my life change? What if the change in me inspired change in those around me? These questions tend to become very personal and yet very useful for inspiring change in my actions.

What would happen if we followed Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12:29-31? The instruction that tells us the most important commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. What if we followed what Jesus says is the second most important commandment to love your neighbor as yourself? What would happen if we dedicated ourselves to loving God intensely? What if we let that love for God show through our actions? It seems that the natural outflow would be to show respect to our neighbors. Jesus taught that anyone in need is our neighbor. How would that “love in action” change our neighbor’s perception of us?

What would happen if we believed and acted on Jesus’ teaching to seek first the kingdom of God? (Matt. 6) From the time we were small children, most of us understood that the goal in life is to build a “kingdom” for ourselves and our family. We believed our primary goal in life was to own as many creature comforts as possible and to own as many financial assets as possible. Unfortunately, in this belief system, spiritual health is usually a long way down the list of goals if it is there at all.

What would happen if we let Christ control our lives, and we encouraged others to live in God’s shadow?

What if we believed enough to act? What if we behaved like we consider Jesus’ teachings are more than platitudes? What would happen if we stopped putting God in a box that fits our lifestyle? What if we just obeyed fully and then stepped back and let God act? It seems that many times we fail to comply because we do not believe. We do not fully trust God. It is a typical human struggle to have difficulty trusting what we cannot see. As I read the Bible, I find that when individuals trusted and obeyed, God moved in titanic proportions. I find myself asking, “If I believed as they did, and I behaved as I believed, what would happen? How explosive would the growth of God’s kingdom be? How close would it help me to live in His shadow?”