If Only I Had… Devotion

If Only I Had ...
Lysa TerKeurst
<http://www.crosswalkmail.com/rlntrwcvtjtpclvqpkfbhpyhcwplnffljgchrrqcnr
vrntn_rclgjvgrgglv.html>
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32 (NIV)
Devotion:
There's a simple little script many of us play in our mind--simple, yet
incredibly dangerous.  Dare I say it's one of the biggest things that
hold us back from feeling fulfilled in our relationship with God. It's a
script tangled in a lie that typically goes something like this: I could
really be happy and fulfilled if only I had ...
... a skinnier body.
... a husband.
... a husband who was more tender and romantic.
... more money.
... a more successful career.
... a better personality.
... a baby.
... smarter kids.
I don't know what your "if only I had" statements are, but I do know
that none of them will bring fulfillment.  They might bring temporary
moments of happiness... but not true fulfillment.
In the book I just wrote, "Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl
<http://www.crosswalkmail.com/mpbbqscdbwblcpdkltgvzlmzcslpyggpwnczqqkcyq
dqybb_rclgjvgrgglv.html> ," I expose the "if only I had" lie with this
truth:  Apart from a thriving relationship with God, even if we got
everything on our list, there would still be a hollow gap in our soul.
Instead of saying, "If only I had" and filling in the blank with some
person, possession, or position, make a choice to replace that statement
with God's truth. Here are some examples that have helped me battle the
temptation to let people, possessions, or positions take God's place in
my life.
People
I no longer say, "If only I had a daddy who loved me...." Instead, I
say, "Psalm 68:5 promises God will be a father to the fatherless."
Maybe your gap isn't left by an absent father but by a friend who hurt
you. Or perhaps a husband who left you. Or the children you've longed to
have and still don't. Whatever that gap is, God is the perfect fit for
your emptiness. Pray this paraphrase of Luke 1:78-79: "Because of the
tender mercy of my God by which the rising sun will come to me from
heaven--to shine on my darkness and in what feels like the shadow of
death to me--I will find peace."
Possessions
I no longer say, "If only I had more possessions ...." Instead, I recite
Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not
destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Any possession I ever long for, no matter how good it may seem, will
only be good for a limited time. In light of eternity, every possession
is in the process of breaking down, becoming devalued, and will
eventually be taken from us. If I set my heart solely on acquiring more
things, I'll feel more vulnerable with the possibility of loss.
Possessions are meant to be appreciated and used to bless others. They
were never meant to be identity markers. It's not wrong to enjoy the
possessions we have as long as we don't depend on them for our heart's
security.
Position
I no longer say, "If only I had a better position ...." Instead, I say
the words of Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light
for my path." I don't need a better position to get where I should go. I
don't have to figure out my path and jockey to get ahead. I need God's
Word to guide me. As I follow Him and honor Him step-by-step, I can be
assured that I'm right where He wants me to be doing what He wants me to
do.
Whatever "if only I had" statement you are struggling with, you can
replace it with solid truths from Scripture that will never leave you
empty. It's a bold assertion to make but it's true. When God's Word gets
inside of us, it becomes the new way we process life. It rearranges our
thoughts, our motives, our needs, and our desires. Our soul was
tailor-made to be filled with God and His truth, therefore, it seeps
into every part of us and fills us completely.
Dear Lord, I acknowledge only You can fill those empty places in my
heart.  Help me to stop the "if only I had" cycle and instead be set
free with Your truth. In Jesus' Name, Amen.