Here we are — the last day of our “What if?” challenge. But hopefully you’re just barely beginning your pursuit to unlock God’s “What if?” perspective over your life. Asking for His perspective of yesterday, today, and tomorrow will always bring hope, even when a correction in course or thought process is necessary. God’s wisdom will always reveal a greater plan and unleash greater expectation than you can imagine.
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Last year I went through the eight “What if?” challenges with a small group of ladies I meet with weekly. Some had a hard time even asking the questions, discouragement was so real in that particular season. Others dove in more easily. In both cases, the Holy Spirit helped each of us examine the general health of our faith. We realized we need to constantly gauge our level of expectation to make sure our thoughts align with the truth of God’s word.
If you think about it, you’ll notice you’re not usually discouraged in every part of your life. You probably have great faith in certain areas . Most likely, though, you’ll find your faith is lacking in a very specific area when you dig deep enough. That’s where the Holy Spirit wants to bring His light of truth and healing, because… well, we tend to major on our areas of discouragement and minor on our strengths. Discouragement never stays in one corner or closet of your mind. Eventually, it clouds your general outlook on everything and everyone around you.
Measuring your expectation.
For the last seven posts, we’ve been dreaming about specific goals or steps we want to take. I’ve asked you to pray and let the Holy Spirit unfold specific ways you can change how you think or what you’re doing, in order to move forward with hope. But I want to pull back a minute and talk about your general attitude about the future.
- When you think about tomorrow or next year or 20 years from now, are you excited?
- Are you motivated to explore the unknown?
- Do you really believe the best is still ahead of you?
- Or does the sight of a clock just make you tired?
- How do you feel about the next stage of life?
I’m not suggesting you let your emotions lead you, but you should definitely use them like signposts to know where you stand. Anger, apathy, fear, confusion, or frustration are neon signs telling you change needs to happen. Your part is to be willing to let the Holy Spirit show you what and how to change, and then walk it out with Him. This process works best with trusted friends, God’s word, and time in prayer and worship. Each of these will act like rain softening the ground to more easily pull up weeds of despair, plant seeds of hope, and open doors for new opportunities.
Again, take time to meditate on today’s question: What if the best is yet to come? Allow the Holy Spirit to unfold your heart, revealing where truth, hope, and faith in His plans are lacking. He’s waiting to give you His perspective and revive your expectation of the future. I’d love to hear from you and agree in prayer with all God is doing as you journey forward. Comment below or on my Facebook page .
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I also encourage you to continue pondering the eight “What if?” questions in the coming weeks and months. Print out the photos and hang them where you’ll see them each day. You can also download and print these 6 Reasons Why the Best is Yet to Come. Then start your own “What if?” Journal to write down new ideas and dreams as they pop up. Keep filling your mind with the truth of God’s word and perspective until embracing God’s goodness for you is your default thought. God bless you!
I'd love to hear from you!