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I am pretty confident that most of us have had one of those, “What If” moments where you wondered just how things may have turned out differently if you had made a different choice. My biggest, “What If” moment has just recently came across my mind. When I turned 18, I signed up for the draft because I was required to. I thought myself I will serve if drafted, but I am not going to volunteer. I had several of my classmates signed up to serve in the armed forces right out of high school and now they are comfortably retired and only working at things they enjoy doing. It has made me think to myself, how would my life had been different if I had joined the military and made a career of it? First I would have gotten married at a very young age and had 3 girls and 2 boys, that passed away as infants. I also wouldn't have had a failed marriage after 8 years and been a single father for 4 years. I also wouldn't have met the love of my life Joyce Ellis who helped me raise my 3 girls. Finally, I wouldn't have 6 grandchildren ranging in age from 18 years old to 12 years old. There is no way to know what my life would have looked like. The choices you make in life are similar to throwing a rock into a body of water. It makes waves which ripple out for a long way. Here is my difficult question for you, what if you had enough faith in this life to do all that God would have you to do?

Matthew 17: 19-20 ESV Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

If I had the faith to follow God without fail the impacts of my actions wouldn't be like the ripples caused by throwing a rock into a body of water, it would be more like the wave cased by a tsunami. Everyone and everything around you would be effected by your actions. However the truth of life is that we all live in a broken and sin filled world. We have all been betrayed in one way or another and this causes us to lose our trust in others and ultimately find it difficult to completely trust God. True Faithfulness comes from a place of trust and loyalty.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

As a Christian, it is important to be faithful to God. It is one thing to simply believe in Him, but another to be faithful to Him. When we are truly faithful to God, this shapes the way we live. Faithfulness requires us to submit our ways to God. It comes from a place of realizing that we are in need of a Savior and that He is in control of our lives.

Proverbs 19:21 ESV Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

So, how do we grow in our faithfulness? We can grow in our faithfulness by having a personal relationship with Christ. If we are truly faithful to Him and obey His commands, this will be evident in our lives. My challenge to you is this: Think about the ways you show your faithfulness to God. Are there things that are getting in the way of your faithfulness? What areas of your life have you not given over to God? Through spending time in prayer, ask God to make these things clear to you, so that you can grow in your faithfulness. “What If” you were completely faithful in all you do? What If?

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I have a common response to all who ask me how I am doing, most days I reply, “If I were any better there would have to be two of my and my wife would say, WOO HOO!” If the truth be known my wife's response would likely be something more like, “OH NO!” My wife has the patience of Job! She has the ability to accept or tolerate all the harassing, teasing and torments I hand out without getting angry or upset or at least she doesn't lash out at me, but I can tell by the expression on her face she is angry. I can be a bit of a trouble maker and that is putting it nicely. I am so grateful for the grace my wife extends to me. As I have grown older and more spiritually mature I have become more aware of the grace that is extended to me by God. Daily I sin and fall short of the glory of God. Grace is not something earned through good works or merit; it's a spontaneous gift, offered freely and unconditionally.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The Bible does not attempt to conceal the sins of those God choose to do his will. The people that adorn the pages of scripture made mistakes just like me! Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command and ate from the Tree of Knowledge, Cain murdered his brother, Noah got drunk and slept in the nude, Abraham and Isaac both lied about their wives, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, Moses killed an Egyptian, Jonah disobeyed God's command and ran from Nineveh and Lots daughters got him drunk and had children with him. Despite their sins God still used these people.

Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Let us face the fact, we came into the world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing. Where do we get the notion that man’s idea of success and God’s are the same? You may have written a book and achieved some success. You may be a talented outdoors men and hunter. Maybe your a very successful farmer or maybe your good with your finances and have invested wisely and accumulated a great deal of money. Without the gifts of intelligence, imagination, personality, and physical energy, which are all endowed by God, where would you be? We are born poor and we die poor! We come into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. If we are anything, it is because God has blessed us with some talent or physical ability. Let's face it God doesn't need us! But he chooses to use us despite all our failures and sins to show his greatness. I once knew a person who told me, God can strike just as hard a lick with a crooked stick, and God knows I am a crooked stick. If God can use a lair, a drunk, an adultery and a murderer the he can use you and he can use me. God’s grace is amazing. His forgiveness knows no bounds. Whether you make one or one million bad choices, God will always take you back. He will always forgive you, because Jesus suffered the punishment for your sins on the cross. So if you mess up, admit it. Don’t let one bad choice lead to another. But also trust that no matter how hard you fall, no matter how low you sink, God’s grace for you knows no limits. Turn to him and find full and free forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God accepts me warts and all! All I have, has been given to me by God's almighty hands. Forgive me when I tend to boast about my own accomplishments for I am nothing without Gods grace and love.

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In the early 90's there was a movie called, Wayne's World. Wayne and his best friend Garth run a popular cable access show called, Wayne’s World. They get the the attention of a TV executive who wants to exploit their show. In the movie there is a scene where Wayne and Garth repeatedly say, We're not worthy. It occurs when they meet Alice Cooper, a rock and roll icon. After Alice Cooper suggests they hang out with him, Wayne and Garth, in a state of extreme excitement and awe, react with the phrase, We're not worthy, which they repeat multiple times, along with other exclamations of self-deprecation. This may seem strange to you but there are times when have a strong desire to lift someone up in prayer, but as I begin my prayer I suddenly feel especially remorseful. I want with all my heart to approach the throne of God with my prayers, but I recognize that because of my sins, I am Not Worthy!

Psalm 51: 1-3 ESV Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

The world wide waste of time, the internet, especially social media has a tendency to occupy or waste way more of my time than it should. Frequently I find myself on Facebook and I stumble across a post that really infuriates me. I know I shouldn't pay attention to it but I find myself getting lost in the comments. Many of the responses are a retaliation to what this person shared in their post. My heart yearns to leave a witty comeback! With my fingers poised over my phone's keyboard, I try to devise a reply to that will let all those who have hatefully lashed out that this person know just how they are wrong they are! I come up with several retorts that I really want to post, but I ultimately decided it is better to do nothing than it is to reply in my furious state, so I hit close all apps and put my phone down. Satisfied with my good behavior, I mentally pat myself on the back for my ability to exert such excellent self-control. Doing the right thing is good in many ways, but it doesn’t change what’s in our heart. Jesus tells us that sin starts in the heart.

Matthew 15: 18-19 ESV But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

If our sin isn’t dealt with at the core, it will grow out of control until it permeates our entire being, affecting our relationship with God. Although I practiced self-control by not posting a comment, my heart was unrepentant. Outwardly I looked clean, but on the inside, my heart was a muddy mess that still oozed pride and fury. Despite my good behavior, I still need to seek the Lord in true repentance. God delights in a heart that is truly remorseful!

Psalm 51:17 ESV The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Rather than assuming that my good behavior is enough to make me right with God, I need to approach Him with the recognition that, I am Not Worthy, that even my most righteous acts are no more than filthy rags to God. I should have a repentant heart that wants to be made right so I can enjoy a better relationship with my heavenly Father. Because none of us are worthy, We are Not Worthy!!!

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