As a pastor I do a lot of writing. Sometimes I learn more by what comes out when my pen starts messing around with thoughts than I ever intended. I like that.
That’s what happened with “What if…?” (our current theme at Jacob’s Well) for me. The typical church and human response to “what if…?” is to control it. “What if” threatens status quo. But God loves possibility and relies on our “what ifs” to help explore them. Rather than dismissing or discouraging them, perhaps God likes to say, “Why not?”
I don’t suppose that God wants to meet just any “what if” with a “why not,” but we might be surprised at how many God might be willing to work with. That’s the point after all. God doesn’t just let them go by, God gets involved, and with God involved there isn’t a lot that isn’t worth trying.
Precarious Pastor 
I have a what-if…what if we are not following the path that God is setting out there for us…how do we know and what do we do about it?
I’d like to hear some conversation about this. There is no exact science on this topic. We follow “God paths” on faith. That is intrinsically different from “certainty.” Certainty is for the non-precarious. When we walk by faith we are never quite sure, but when we stride off we should do it with ‘confidence’ because we have a deeply seated reason for doing so. And when it appears to “work” or ring true with our souls, then we proceed with “conviction.” But it doesn’t turn into certainty.
The other side of this is that we are often wrong – in whole or in part. I can’t say it doesn’t matter, but ultimately God doesn’t challenge us and lead us only to have us get it right. We can and will mess up, and that’s okay. Forgiveness isn’t only a bail out, it is God’s way of shaping and leading.
Okay, another comment from me. I’ll focus in on the word “the.” “What if we are not following THE path…” Do you really think there is just one path?
I don’t really know if there is one path, but in terms of my work, I don’t feel like I’m on the right path. But then again, I seem to believe that God places me where He wants me…so then i think, I must be here for a reason. I think I am just too comforatble in my job to explore a different path of work – but I also want a change – it sounds selfish (like it’s all about me). I know it isn’t but I think God wants me to be happy – and making some changes might do just that…I don’t know, I become more confused the more I ponder it…