What If?

Written by Marty Parks | Nov 25, 2013 6:00:00 AM

What if, just for this Sunday, when we entered our place of worship, we didn't sing to try to impress anyone (or we didn't refrain from singing because we felt intimidated), but instead we offered up a shout for joy to the Lord?

What if, instead of grumbling or complaining about parking, technical issues, lack of attendance or any number of physical distractions that could derail us, we truly worshiped the Lord with gladness?

What if, in place of a litany of our current, past or presumed future woes, trials and tribulations, we came before God not with a lament, but with joyful songs?

And what if, just for this Sunday, we replaced our illusory sense of self-sufficiency, our exaggerated sense of accomplishment, and our self-deceiving sense of importance, and we came to realize that the Lord, He is God; not us; we're His creation, His people, His sheep.

Then, what if we determined that we'd abandon all efforts at comparison; we'd give up dwelling on what we don't have, and we'd enter His gates with thanksgiving … for all He is and for all He's done? What if our thankfulness then turned to spontaneous praise?

Just for this Sunday, what if we intentionally made no comment about or reference to the results of the previous day's sporting events (hailing our win, mourning our loss), and we engaged in no discussions as to what the rest of this day holds, but we gave thanks to God for this very moment, and we blessed His name?

What if we spent the entire day resting in the goodness of the Lord; kicking back in the assurance that His love is not just for today, but for eternity? And what if we focused, just for the day, on the truth that nothing can separate us from that love?

And what if we could impart this assurance to someone (maybe in our immediate family, maybe in our church family, or maybe a neighbor across the street) of a younger generation who needs to see and hear how faith in God is lived out; how the righteous have never been forsaken?