IF

Matthew 4:3, 4 the tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

How many times have I fell prey to the deception of thinking “if” or “what if”? In this scripture the devil is clearly tempting Jesus to enter the realm of doubt and disbelief by tempting him with the unknown. That is a place we enter all too often. We look to the past and get caught up in resentment, guilt, shame and bitterness. We also look to the future and get caught in the snares of worry, anxiety, and fear. The “if” cripples us from moving forward by reminding us of the past. “If”, also prevents us from moving forward because it leaves out the Sovereignty of God resulting in a skewed perception of a future filled with hurt, no hope, and failure.

This is contrary to the vision God gives for our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11 we learn that the Lord declares that his are to prosper us not to harm us; to give us hope and a future. In John 10:10 Jesus states that he has come to give us abundant life to the fullest. In John 15:5 we are reminded that we will bear much fruit and apart from Jesus we can do nothing. When we enter the realm of “if” we weaken our faith and discredit the power of God in our lives.

A perfect example is my friend Bruce who is waiting to get a job in food services. Bruce is also homeless. He is unable to maintain consistent employment because he believes that the one thing that hinders him from managing a five star restaurant is “if” he can get a set of dentures. Bruce is unable to have a realistic vision for his working career.

According to the world Bruce has no physical limitations or disability. His family is in Virginia. He has no support system in New Orleans. He has no hope of getting dentures. He is stuck in “if” and unable to move forward. The devil has convinced him that there is NO HOPE for dentures, no hope for his dream job, no hope to get off the streets. He has allowed the enemy to ensnare him in the trap of “if” and so he spirals downward. How many of us allow the devil to bring us into this place of hopelessness by believing in “if”?

I see something very important from this scripture that I have never seen before. The devil is tempting Jesus with “if” which is unbelief and doubt, and the bread is the object he uses to tempt him. Jesus reminds the devil of God’s Sovereignty. God created this world from his mouth. He spoke everything into existence. Jesus was telling him, “I don’t just need bread, but I need oxygen, water, love, everything that you see, don’t see, etc.” because it all comes from God. This is what He has chosen to sustain me in this world. He is Sovereign, and I hang on His every word spiritually, physically, and emotionally.”

Friends the devil uses a lot of objects in our lives to get us to fall into the trap of “if” so that we will doubt and disbelieve in the Sovereignty of God. When we learn to stop thinking about the “if” of tomorrow, the “if” of yesterday and trust His plan, our lives can change and be transformed. (Matthew 6:33, 34; Philippians 3:13)This is the place where we are able to eliminate fear, worry, anxiety, resentment, bitterness, un-forgiveness, insecurity, doubt, etc. This is the place where we find God and allow ourselves to seek him first. This is the place where we learn to move mountains.

When you look at my friend Bruce for whom he is and not for what he has or doesn’t have, you see that He is really just like you and me. We all have the same struggles and the same challenges; the devil just wraps them in different packages. They are all the same tactics. Life can be so much easier and fighting the “ifs” is all really simple if you will just take three simple steps:

1) You have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He died for you wiping away all the bad things you do. He rose again and gives you eternal life.

2) Repent daily for the bad things you do. When you repent, if means you are saying you are sincerely sorry and have no motive to repeat that action.

3) You must follow him. He has to become your primary preoccupation. You have to prioritize time to talk with him, read his words, and worship him.

Spending time with him isn’t a duty, obligation, or a job as a believer. It’s the only thing that should consume you. I encourage you to examine your heart because He should be our primary preoccupation. Is Jesus your primary preoccupation? When you get rid of the “ifs” you can allow yourself to enter into that kind of relationship with him.