What Would Happen If ? Part 1

What Would Happen If You Had Everything?

“Sit with me as I delve into and roll out my mini reel series, “What Would Happen If ___?” I’m starting this mini reel series on Instagram and thought I’d have it here on a more permanent space, too. Follow along and share this mini reel series on Instagram and TikTok!”

-Lindsey

What would happen if you had everything? If you had everything, what would you want then? If you had everything, what would your heart treasure? If I have everything, why do I still have nothing? The simple answer is: it’s because you don’t possess the most life saving thing.

What is your definition of living abundantly? What would your job look like? Your family? Your bank account? Your heart? I Googled the definition of abundance. Here’s what it said, “plentifulness of the good things of life.” This definition makes sense, right? To have plenty of the good things in life. As humans living a fleshly life in a sinful world, we relate words like ‘abundance’ and ‘good things’ with our fleshly desires and worldly possessions.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT) says, “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!”

I am not perfect, you are not perfect. You sin, I sin. But we have a God that is more than adequate, more than enough. We have God’s fullness everywhere we go and in every season of our lives. We have an inner strength that burns from within us like no other-the Holy Spirit.

I get this overwhelming peace when I sit and marvel about how long, how high, how wide, and how deep God’s love is for me. When I think back to when I let Jesus into my heart and fully surrendered my life to God, I felt, and still feel, so full of life and like I am living a life where I don’t need to have everything the world is telling me I need. That is living abundantly. So, what would happen if you had everything-would you be living in abundance with God or living for everything else that is fleshly + worldly?

Paul’s prayer for spiritual growth in Ephesians 3:14-21 is also my prayer for you and your life whether you’ve been walking in faith for a long time or for not very long.

Be a light + stay salty!

Talk soon!

Other Bible verses to soak in:

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) says, “But the Holy spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) says, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT) says, “For I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Trusting God Even If

This topic is one that the Lord has put heavy on my heart: Trusting ain’t easy! It can be easier to say, “That’s just our luck,” and have this lackluster or “pity me” attitude about what is happening in your life. Even worse, blindly trusting that only good things will happen in your life and you will reap from the rewards that you have not earned. Trust is something that is earned and requires to be worked on continuously. As Christians, often times our prayers can be for immediate healing or for landing a new job offer that will financially benefit your family and then some. That if we rub this lamp, God will grant our wishes and our heart’s desires! In that skewed view of Godly trust, we have this misunderstanding that we trust God to only do the things that would benefit us, solve all of our problems, or what we want to happen for others according to our plan. If God answered our prayers according to our will’s, could you imagine what the world would be like?

We should trust the Lord not for an outcome, but regardless of an outcome.

When we truly put our trust in God, we are praying in faith that He is powerful and strong enough to answer our prayers according to His will regardless of the outcome. We need to trust that even if He doesn’t do that or even brings a good thing to an end, His plans are greater and He has a greater purpose for us. Isaiah 55:9 says that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own. We can’t comprehend His ways and thoughts. God can do anything. Proverbs 3:5 says when we lean away from our own understanding and lean into God’s word, we are leaning away from a worldly perspective and leaning into a spiritual perspective, thus building trust. He is going to use that justification to sanctify you and grow you in His-likeness. He will use it to grow you in your faith and in your walk with the Lord. Romans 8:28 says not that all things will be good, but all things will work together for good. This is not an earthly good, it’s a spiritual good. Yes, sometimes there are worldly, good things that happen, but His plans and outcomes are always focused on spiritual good. He is greater. His thoughts and plans are higher. God must become higher and we must become lesser (John 3:30 NLT).

One thing I’ve learned (and it’s a hot one) is that the closer you are to God, the more you seek God, and the more you live like God, the more that the enemy and the world will attack. If you feel like you’ve won, then you have more than likely blindly accepted worldly desires, fleshly desires, sin, and the devil into your life. Put on the armor of God and fill yourself with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT).

What do you do when God doesn’t answer your prayers according to your plans? See my blog post about ‘God’s Planned Delays” about seeking God in seasons of waiting.

Be a light + stay salty!

Talk soon!

Other Bible verses to soak in:

Isaiah 55:9 (NLT) says, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”

Romans 8:28 (NLT) says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”

Ephesians 6:10-12 (NLT) says, “A final word: be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

John 3:30 (NLT) says, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”

Songs to praise Him in:

“Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” by Hillsong UNITED