The Most Important Word

Have you ever thought about what the most important word is in the English language?  What would you pick?

Maybe love…faith…hope?

Perhaps something a little more epic like freedom or perseverance.

Maybe you’d pull the Bible class answer and go with Jesus or God…after all, who can argue with that?  They are definitely the most precious words that you can utter with your tongue.

All of those words are important and meaningful, but my guess is that everything in the world hinges on a much less impressive word.  My guess is that the entire world could be changed, not by something substantial and ostentatious, but rather something so simple that most of us would read right past it without noticing.

My guess is that YOUR life is hinged on this very word as well.

We find it in 2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I’m pretty confident that the word is “If.”  Once you get past the “Ifs” in your life, there is power that shakes a nation.  Try it… “My people, who are called by my name, have humbled themselves and prayed.  They have sought my face, they have turned from their wicked ways, I have heard from heaven, and I have forgiven their sins.  I have healed their land.”

The sentence goes from a nice idea to a utopia of God’s provision and peace with the removal of just two letters.

My challenge for you, as you head into this new year, is to find the areas of your own life where you have two letters stopping you from all that God has planned for you.

Where are your “ifs”?

“If I would honor God with my purity…”

“If I would give Him my tithe…”

“If I would take the leap of faith…”

“If I would forgive that person…”

“If I wasn’t afraid…”

Get out the eraser of your life and change the sentences of your future.  God has abundant blessings and provisions for you, but it all hinges on us taking one small step of obedience.

Make 2013 the year without “ifs”.