Have you ever indulged in the mind game, “If Only?” Most of us have at one time or another. Usually we’ve experienced a bad situation and a little depression has set in. Don’t be fooled, this game will not help! Your “pity party” will continue until you stop the game or do something that fulfills the fantasy of “If Only.”
It started in the garden! I’m not sure of the year since we are not told how long it took Eve’s dissatisfaction to bring her to the point of standing in front of the forbidden. Sometimes we imagine that Eve was strolling through the garden, happened to pass by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil when Satan began talking to her. Then on a whim, Eve reached out grabbed an apple and took a bite, shared it with her husband and brought sin on the world. I believe it was more of a process. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many times Satan confronted her before she began to entertain the thought, “If Only!”
Satan’s tactics have not changed since Adam and Eve’s exodus from the garden, so I think this might be a more accurate scenario. One beautiful day Eve was enjoying a moment of solitude, which should have been easy since she only had Adam to think of, but it seems a “woman’s work is never done!” She should really gather fresh boughs for their bed, but maybe it would be ok for one night, fortunately, there was no laundry to finish. Soon it would be suppertime and she hadn’t picked out anything for the meal. Would Adam be happy with fruit salad again or should they start with a wonderful vegetable soup? If only she had some new recipes. Satan began to whisper and Eve began to wonder…If Only!!! Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. And the SIN OF DISSATISFACTION came into the world.
What is the “If Only” that Satan has been whispering in your ear? It may be, If only I had…, If only I had not…., If only that was mine… Your “If only” may be a different spouse, another career, the house down the street, your bosses automobile, Bill Gate’s money, a model’s body or another Christian’s gifts. We all have different “If Only’s” we desire. James 1:14 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” How do we combat this trick of Satan? Is there a way to avoid reaching for the fruit?
The antidote to the “If Only Syndrome” is a huge dose of “Thankfulness.” When Satan whispers, “If only you had not married him,” think of 10 reasons you are thankful he is your husband. Perhaps you think, “If only I had her money, home, figure, fashion sense or personality.” Make a list of all the things that God has provided in your life; include your healthy body and the fact that God created you with a personality to be used for His purpose. The” Blessing” side of your list will soon overshadow the “If only” column. If only Eve had rebutted Satan with a list of blessings, thanking God for the beautiful home he had provided, delicious fresh food for every meal, a loving, hard working companion and faithful furry friends, always at her side “If Only” must be stopped before it is conceived. If it is allowed to give birth to the “Sin of Dissatisfaction,” “If Only” will destroy you.
