“If only.” Those are words of regret, of lost opportunities, of that “missed the boat” lamentation, and they come to mind far too often for most of us. They are normal, natural words in a broken world. Almost everyone understands them.
But these words don’t fit the kingdom of God. When we enter in, we are meant to leave our “if onlys” behind. Why? Because God can redeem any situation and restore any loss. He has a way not only of building meaning into our mistakes—just look at the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, and many others for examples—but also of bringing things back around. “Lost” is never really lost in his kingdom.
Do you think you missed your one great opportunity? He will probably bring it—or something better—back around. Are you waiting for something that seems far too long in coming? It’s coming at exactly the right time. The world tells us to seize the day, but God would much prefer that we seize the opportunity to grow into his character. When we do, we’re ready. And nothing we missed along the way will be withheld forever.
