What if you had been born the opposite sex?
What if your parents were less loving (more loving)?
What if your first love (crush) ended up being the one you married?
What if you lived in the same place all your life? What if you didn’t?
What if your name was Omar Caliph, and not a “Midwest, European decent” name?
What if you grew up in a home where Jesus was never mentioned?
What if you never accepted Jesus as your Savior?
What if tomorrow never comes?
What if?
Have you ever sat around and asked questions like the ones above? There are times where my thoughts begin to wander into introspective daydreaming. What ifs can be fun, but they can also be filled with regret. “What if I chose the wrong path in life?” Regrets are a dangerous minefield. They make you question your identity, your choices, and your future. They can be devastating to the people around you. Regret is a pit, better filled and left behind.
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” He knew what could happen if you look behind. Just like Lot’s wife, if we regret what is left behind we could turn into a pillar of salt. In order to get past the “what ifs” we have to come to appreciate the “what is now”. It’s hard if you are stuck in your regrets. That is why the Apostle said he strained to leave the past behind. It takes effort, and it takes both the will and the want to. Forgetting the “what ifs” of our past is painful if they have become chains. But forgetting them is a rush of freedom and a breath of fresh air. We step out from under the past and realize the gift of today.
Therefore, set your minds on things above, and contemplate on this verse, “Philippians 4:8 — Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” What if we thought on these things every day. I’m just saying….
From The Bunker Day 51
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