If Only Syndrome
“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Do You Suffer From “If Only Syndrome”?
Do you or anyone you know suffer from what I call the “if only syndrome”? These two words can be found at the beginning of any discontented thought. If only my husband would help out more. If only I had more money. If only I had gotten that job promotion. If only the church would change its worship style. If only I were more attractive. If only I were taller. If only I didn’t have to work full time. You think if only things were different then, you would have your happily ever after. Charles Spurgeon said it this way,
“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”[i]
These if only thoughts are dangerous because they make you feel dissatisfied, jealous, and deprived. Entertaining these thoughts cause us to search for “satisfaction guarantees” found in products, programs, and propaganda. However, the satisfaction that comes from this world will only temporarily satiate our desires and we soon find ourselves spinning our wheels as we strive to meet our unfulfilled desires.
This strategy of the enemy to shift our focus off of God and onto what we lack in our present circumstances affects our thinking, which affects our outlook, which affects our posture, which affects our mood, which in turn affects our responses/actions. Focusing on the negative causes us not to see the positive.
How Do I Find Satisfaction?
For example, one day as I was getting my youngest daughter, then a toddler, ready to leave the house for an appointment. Every time I tried to hurry her along, I felt like she moved more slowly. Finally, I corralled her outside but she walked straight past the car and out of the garage onto the driveway. Before I said anything in my frustration, she turned to me excitedly and said, “Mommy, look at the sun, isn’t it glorious! Look at the trees, they’re dancing with the wind.”
Tears filled my eyes. My negative lenses had prevented me from seeing the positive, yet beauty was right in front of me.
God used my precious girl to shift my focus back onto Him that day and I’m forever grateful. While the enemy tries to breed dissatisfaction, God promises that He “will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:9 NIV). God promises us over and over again in Scripture that He will satisfy not in some ways but in all ways and from His unlimited resources no less.
When a sea of if onlys threatens to overtake you, instead of struggling to tread water, rest on the promises of God, be satisfied in Him and allow Him to supply all your needs.
[i] Charles Spurgeon, Available online at Crosswalk.com. 2 Nov 2015.