I attended high school with a guy that had, by my estimation, superhuman athleticism. He sprinted faster than anyone on the football team and jumped higher than anyone on the basketball team. His explosiveness out of the starting blocks earned him first place in nearly every sprinting event at every track meet. The problem, however, was the application of his ability. At best it could be described as inconsistent. More than once I watched him casually jog the basketball court for two or three minutes when, without any observable reason, he caught the ball near midcourt, took a few bounding steps, launched into the air and slammed the ball with authority! The gym would erupt with raucous cheering then he would return to jogging unenthusiastically to the other end of the court. I would think, “If only I had that kind of athleticism. I would make much better use of it than him.” Instead of focusing on how to do more with the talent God had given me, I coveted someone else’s and, in pride, calculated the success I’d enjoy if things in my life were different.
Is this something you have experienced in your Christian walk? Do you find yourself looking at the talents God has given other Christians and think, “If only I had that kind of ability. Do you know how much I could do for God?” Conversely, do you fail to exercise your God-given abilities because you are focused on the talents or circumstances God has given to someone else? What is the if-only in your life that is preventing you from being more effective for the kingdom of God? Is it a physical trait—intellect, physical appearance or speaking ability? Is it external—time, education or money? What is your go-to if-only? Put more bluntly, what is your go-to rationalization?
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The Christian is God’s handiwork. He designed you with specific abilities for the purpose of performing actions that please Him. And it was not a rush job. He prepared everything ahead of time so that you would be able to perform all the God-honoring functions for which you were created. You are a custom-fit, handcrafted tool fashioned to fulfill a precise function for the glory of God.
According to 2 Timothy 1:9 you were saved and called to a “holy calling…because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” There is nothing haphazard about how God physically designed you or about the life situation in which He has placed you. Regardless of your physical limitations or the circumstances of your life, you have a preordained holy calling that was initiated by the purpose and grace of God. When you engage in if-only thinking, you cast doubt on God’s design of you and the life He gave to you.
Psalm 100:3 reads:
Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
God made us and called us to be His. When the psalmist refers to us being “the sheep of his pasture” he is not referring to a version of Dolly, the sheep clone. On the contrary, our inward parts were formed by God from the womb. You can praise Him because you were fearfully and wonderfully made! You are a one-of-a-kind creation with a holy calling.
Therefore, there is no room for if-only’s in the believer’s life. You are neither too young, nor too old to advance God’s kingdom. You don’t have too many problems nor too few talents to be effective in His plan. You must not legitimize ineffectiveness by focusing on the lack of a physical trait or the presence of an obstacle. You may be grazing in a field you never dreamed you’d find yourself in, but you’re still His sheep and it’s still His pasture.
No more if-only’s. No more rationalization. No more self-pity.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Col. 3:23–24)
After asking God to forgive you for if-only thinking, ask Him to make your purpose obvious. Ask Him to give you the courage to say yes to seeking first the kingdom of God. Ask Him to help you make the most of the abilities and the specific set of experiences that you have to offer. Ask Him to make you a useful and productive sheep in the time He has given you in His pasture.