Whatif-itis and Ifonly-itis...

How often have we been plagued with the whatif-itis and ifonly-itis disease? What if I can be taller, if only I'm 10 pounds lighter, what if I didn't do what I just did? If only she would love me. What if I'm richer? If only I had listened... and the list goes on. How often such thoughts bring about misery and depression? How often does these thoughts make you a lesser man? In the words of Thomas Kempis who wrote The Imitation of Christ, "wherever you are, wherever you go, you are miserable unless you turn to God. So why be dismayed when things do not happen as you wish and desire? Is there anyone who has everything as he wishes? No—neither I, nor you, nor any man on earth. There is no one in the world, be he Pope or king, who does not suffer trial and anguish." So be assured that you aren't the only one out there that faces disappointments, misery or anguish. I feel it too sometimes, and the past two weeks were no exception. I just wanted to share some stuff I learnt the past two weeks. First of all, don't let a fear-filled perspective rob you from the joy of life you can experience right now. If we live in fear, the power of the "whatif-itis" and the "ifonly-itis" becomes overwhelming and you would go through life without joy. At times, I feel so depressed because I feel so inadequate, to the point where I feel like I'm a failure. But when I explore beneath the surface and discover that much of the pain of failure is not just that I have not achieved something but people might think of me as failing. People's recognition and praise is so important for most people. How often do we seek recognition from God? Sometimes at the time of your disappointment, how often have you thought about the people around you who are equally or more disappointment than you and how miserable they could be because of their life issues? Remember, you aren't the only one with problems. I'd like to challenge you today that the next time when you feel down or depressed, start by praying for someone you know is hurting and in misery. I guess one important I learned is that what we think shape our being. Our attitude determines our altitude. Who we are is largely related to how we perceive the world around us. So it's very important to stay focused and have a positive attitude. It's not easy, and yes, it can be a constant struggle but when you are down, you are rest assured that there's someone out there praying for you right now. Someone who has problems of his own but makes a conscientious effort to pray for you. Are you willing to do the same? I wanna take this opportunity to thank a few people. I asked God to send an angel, and He sent me THREE on the same day. One at prayer meeting, one on Yahoo! Messenger and another one at 2.30am in the morning. You know who you are, so thanks so much! Thanks for all the encouragements and the "scolding"... Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. - Phillipians 4:8 (Msg)