What If?

What if?

What?

No.   What if?

These are two words, when put together, that can haunt us, like a ghost from the past, or inspire us with the hope of adventure and possibilities.

What if?

What if, I had only taken a different class in school, or had a different teacher.

What if, I had practiced more at reading, or basketball, or piano.

What if, I had married so-n-so.

What if, I hadn’t said the things I did.

What if, I could erase that one horrible day.

What if, the police had not pulled me over that night.

What if?

See how that ghost can haunt us?  We play that video tape over and over in our minds and we keep hitting the rewind button, play, rewind, play, rewind, play…

…instead of hitting the fast forward button.

What if?

What if we had an opportunity to start fresh.

What if we could erase the past and start anew?

What if you could find hope instead of despair in those two words…

…What if?

Did you ever think that two little words could have such power?


Let me give you some words from the Bible that have given me hope, then I’ll explain why they mean so much to me. 

Philippians 2:3 (KJV) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:


What if, everyone could have the attitude of Christ?  Or am I crazy to even think that!

You say, “Jay, you are thinking way too big!”

On the contrary, I’m thinking small. 

I know these words can’t change the government overnight.

These words can’t change the schools overnight.

These words can’t change your family overnight.

These words can’t change even those that are nearest and dearest to you.

But you know what?

What if I just concentrate on changing me?  Me?

That’s it, think small.

What if I do nothing out of selfishness?

What if I do nothing out of vanity?

What if I humble myself, instead of trying to prove I’m better than everyone else?

What if I look at people the way Jesus would?

What if I look around and find someone in need and care after their interests, like hunger, poverty, health, and loneliness.

Then, I will be on my way to having the attitude of Jesus.

And what if I did this?   And what if you did this?  And what if your family did this?

And heaven forbid – what if a whole church did this?  Being like-minded, having the same love, being in one spirit and purpose?  Like Jesus?  Yes.  Like Jesus.

And what if a community of churches did this?

And what if your neighbors and your co-workers and the mayor and the teachers and the council and the representatives, and …

What if thinking small can change the world? 

Those two small words are growing in me –

and now, you –

What if?