Have you ever been around someone who delighted in trying to impress people with his or her vast vocabulary, using multi-syllable words with abandon, as if they just ate a dictionary?
That’s not to demean complex-sounding words. ‘Aeronautical,’ for instance, makes more sense than saying, “Stuff that goes up in the air.” On the other hand, saying things are ‘ubiquitous’ might not connect as easily with the hearer as “everywhere.” It largely depends on the intended audience and the context in which words are used.
Since words are the tools of my trade, I’ve often found that small, simple words – when they are the right words – can have incredible impact.
I can’t think of a better example than the little word, ‘If.’ Conditional statements – declarative sentences that express relationships between two ideas – often start with or include the word ‘if.’ They inform us that, “If you do this…then that will happen.”
For instance, “If you speed on the interstate, then you are likely to get a traffic ticket.” Or, “if I won the lottery, I’d be able to get out of debt.” Essentially, a cause-and-effect relationship.
In God’s Word we read about the Lord’s unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance of His children – His mercy and grace. But even the Scriptures tell us that some benefits of the spiritual life are conditional. This is where that little word ‘if’ comes in.
We find this word being used many times in the Bible. Two passages that immediately come to mind convey that spiritual health and growth aren’t automatic. They require initiative on our part. For example, in Proverbs 2:1-11 we read:
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding – indeed, if you call out for insights and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God…. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”
These verses make clear that if we do certain things, we then can expect certain outcomes. Accepting God’s words, storing His commands in our hearts, pursuing wisdom and understanding, and treasuring them will lead to gaining understanding, wisdom, knowledge and discretion.
Those all are invaluable qualities for godliness and becoming the people the Lord wants us to be. But they’ll come to us only if we ask for them, seek them, and embrace them for the eternal treasures that they are. If…then.
Another passage that reinforces this conditional relationship between God’s desires for our lives and our response is Philippians 2:1-2, which exhorts, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
This is a strong call to unity of heart and spirit. In our society today, we often hear people speaking about unity but it’s often with the connotation that folks accept or align with a particular position being espoused. These verses in Philippians point to the foundation for unity, especially among followers of Jesus.
Do we find encouragement in our relationship with Him? Can we find comfort in His love? Do we enjoy fellowship with one another through the power of the Holy Spirit? Has He imparted in us tenderness and compassion toward others? If this is the case, then we can become like-minded, experience mutual love, and be united in spirit and God’s purpose for our lives.
Do you see the power this little word ‘if’ can wield? I’d be remiss if (there’s that word again) I failed to cite one more passage that underscores what it means to be one of Christ’s followers. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus tells His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
There’s much we could unpack from this single verse, but Jesus speaks directly. To be one of His followers, we need to be willing to deny ourselves, die to our own desires, and follow Him wherever He leads. That may seem like a hard statement – because it is. But as He said, if we desire to be true followers, those are the conditions. We might say, “there’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.”
