The Land of If Only

"I am always content with that which happens,

for I think that which God chooses is better than what I choose"

-Ephictetus

Tonight, I went back to a book I was given a couple years ago by a dear friend. Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. I encourage all women to read it. It is "a woman's guide to finding contentment". I will be sharing several things I learned from it tonight.

"If we are to find contentment in the midst of trial and uncertainty, we must accept our situation as being purposely allowed into our lives by a personal and loving God. For most of us, this begins by refusing to contract the If Only disease."

-Linda Dillow

We don't see the whole picture like God does.

"Did I not tell you that If you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

John 11:40 (emphasis mine)

Just like the story of Lazarus...Martha wanted Lazarus to be saved from death; Jesus wanted Lazarus to be triumphant over death.

"If Only" usually starts from a real problem and instead of focusing on God and being thankful for what we have, we focus only on the problem. This leads you down the road to The Land of If Only.

Our faith is very important to God. He wants us to trust Him no matter what our circumstances may be. We need to be willing to accept whatever God has for us.

I challenge you to write down what God has done for you in the past and keep it handy. Next time you feel like exiting into The Land of If Only; grab it, read it, thank God for those things and trust God with every situation because you know that He has a plan for your life that is completely unique and purposely planned.

Father God, forgive me for complaining and wishing for things that I do not need. I no longer want to dwell on the If Onlys, I want to focus on You. Make me wise and content with what I know and not anxious about what I don't know.

In Jesus' Name, I ask these things.