Article December 22, 1980 Issue

Don't let "if only" steal your now

MARY ELIZABETH LEEVER

Have you ever indulged "if only" thinking? Many people do every day. They do it when they think that circumstances can obstruct their progress and rob them of purpose. "If only this or that were different"—so the reasoning goes—"I'd be satisfied."

Such thinking would blind us to opportunities and distract us from our real purpose: to distinctively express God right where we are. "Let your light so shine before men," Christ Jesus urged, "that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."^{Matt. 5:16;}

You may argue that there is no present outlet for your talent. But ask yourself: Am I telling God what I would like to do, or am I really listening for His direction and looking for opportunities to carry it out? Am I expressing God's qualities selflessly in all that I do right now?

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