If - Than…

 What if? What an interesting expression. IF, can be attached to almost any expression. IF only. What IF? IF not. See more. 

It cannot stand alone. It must have a conjunctive like the word, THAN. The word we attach to this word makes up its meaning. It cannot stand alone. As we reach the Bible, we must complete the meaning of the purpose of the Word. 

It is grace and truth!

It is beginning and end.

It is first and last.

God completes the tension we find IF we only focus on one aspect and not the other. There is good and evil. There is eternal life and eternal death. 

Romans 12:6-8

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. IF your gift is serving others, serve them well. IF you are a teacher, teach well. IF your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. IF it is giving, give generously. IF God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And IF you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

The word IF is found in this passage of text. It denotes action. If we have been given something, we have a responsibility to give it away. There is a reason we have been given something not for self alone! 

We have been given something so that we may invest it into something beyond ourselves. Gifts are meant to be given away. They are meant to be invested into something beyond ourselves. 

So, IF you and I are to fulfill God’s plan for our lives, THAN we are being given an opportunity to invest. Our spiritual gifts are for the purpose for which they have been given. Not for self but for God! 

Someone used their gifts to introduce you to hope! Someone used their gifts to bring you into a personal relationship with God, in Christ. For me, this is true. Someone took their IF - THAN to love me into God’s Kingdom. IF I have been given something, THAN I can invest into someone else - in spiritual terms! 

What IF have you been given? What is your THAN that you need to take action on? 

God chose to use His Church - you & me - as followers of Jesus to invest the gifts we have for others 

Right now, who are two or three people you interact with? 

What is the two or three (spiritual) gifts that you can use to invest into their lives? 

Take action on your IF’s. 

A little humor comes for me the Family Circle cartoon.  Like the cartoon, what is your IF — offering advice to a pastor — THAN take action. Ha! 

What is your IF? What THAN will you do?