THE "WHAT IF" GAME

The “What If Game” –

Ever played it?

It’s really pretty simple. There are two versions of the game. Let me explain.

First of all, there’s the “Game of What If Past.”

Basically, you think about all the things you should have done, but didn’t.

Or think about all the things you did do, but shouldn’t have.

What if I had gone to a different college? Or gone to college? What if I’d married someone else? Or hadn’t gotten married? What if I’d taken that other job? What if I hadn’t made that investment? What if I hadn’t bought this house? What if I hadn’t had that relationship? What if I hadn’t made that choice? What if I’d done this instead?

You get the idea.

The word “should” is really important in this version of the game. I looked up the word “SHOULD” in Sharon’s Acrostic Dictionary:

S tubbornly

H olding

O n

U ntil

L iving in

D efeat

The other version is the “Game of What If Future.”

Basically, you think about all the things that could happen.

What if I lose my job? What if I lose my house? What if I get cancer? What if my spouse leaves me? What if I never get married? What if I never find that ideal job? What if I do, and it isn’t great? What if my car breaks down? What if I get hurt? What if my plans, dreams, goals don’t work out?

The word “could” is really important in this game. I looked up the word “COULD” in Sharon’s Acrostic Dictionary:

C oncentrating

O n

U ncertainty

L iving in

D efeat

Living in Defeat.

That’s the key objective of the “What If” Game. The rules are simple:

1) Always think (obsess) about things you cannot change and/or have

no control over.

2) Allow yourself to be consumed with this miry thinking.

3) Keep playing until you have exhausted yourself – until you are

emotionally paralyzed.

4) Play until you are unable to be any good whatsoever for the

present moment.

That’s when you’ve won the game.

Except you haven’t…

The enemy has.

It’s his game, you see –

Distracted, ineffective, discouraged, anxious, weak, intimidated…

We become nothing but little pawns of his fiery arrow thoughts – moved around on his game board, subject to his whims.

Why are we playing this game?

Why are we not fighting this battle?

It’s a subtle game. It’s not always easy to see who’s moving the pieces.

After all, these are just MY thoughts…right? I’m in control of my mind…right? If I have a thought enter my head, I have to think it…right?

“Sure, absolutely,” the devil says.

And don’t just think it. Invite it in for a meal. Let it have a sleepover. Hey, why not let it be a permanent houseguest –

My friends, the “What If” game is not harmless! It is an insidious inroad for the enemy’s work. We have to be aware of it. We have to be on guard. We have to fight against it.

And we need help.

Jesus won this game.

Satan played a great game of “What If” with Jesus in the wilderness.

“Hey, you’re tired and hungry…WHAT IF you turned these stones into bread?”

“I know, WHAT IF you jumped off the Temple – you could call a bunch of your angel buddies to save you.”

“You know, WHAT IF I gave you all the kingdoms of the world to rule over, right now?”

Jesus did not give in.

He used a failsafe strategy – the ONLY effective strategy in this game. He used Scripture.

We must do the same.

The “Game of What If Past” –

“…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past…I press on to reach the end of the race…” (Philippians 3:13-14)

The “Game of What If Future” –

“Can all your worries add a single day to your life?...[God] will certainly care for you…So don’t worry about tomorrow…” (Matthew 6:27, 30-31)

The final move in the “What If” game?

“Give us TODAY the food we need…” (Matthew 6:11)

“THIS is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

(Psalm 118:24)

“You go before me and follow me…I can never get away from your presence…Every day of my life…every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:5, 7, 16)

Checkmate.

Game Over.

We win.

BLOG = “Blessedly Leaning On God!”