Friday, May 25, 2012

Making the most of every opportunity.

In a world that screams to do more and be more, we are encouraged to believe that we are only as valuable as what we can produce. This mentality pushes people into hard drive, leaving little time to hear the voice of God and there is very little patience for those times in life when God provides a still, peaceful moment. Where does this pressure come from? Does the Bible tell us to work at an unrelenting pace? 


No, the answer is it doesn't actually. 
Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, "For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him."
There is a time for going hard and fast, and a time for resting and waiting on the Lord. Jesus was a carpenter for a good 30 years before he started his "full steam ahead ministry" and even then he took time to get away and go to "the mountainside to pray" (Luke 6:12). David spent lots of time with the sheep before he took down Goliath and he spent lots of time in the caves before he was ever a great King. Paul was sitting in jail when we wrote some of the great chapters of the Bible. Many of the "greats" in the Bible had times of "waiting on the Lord" before they had their "God is glorified" moment. The Bible tells us to "be still and know that God is God", (Psalm 46:10) and if he is God we cannot be. If we are not God then we do not have to take on the responsibilities of the world as if we are. We can trust God with the big picture. The point is that God be glorified through the things we say and do. Each of us is given our own responsibilities to take care of according to the gifts we have been given, (Galatians 6:5) but none of us must think that EVERY problem that crosses our path is our problem to fix. It is not about us proving that we are the Alpha and Omega...we're not. God is. If anyone needs permission to slow down this is it. God is God, and is in control, and will reveal to us what we are to do, and when we are to do it as we draw closer to Him. As we are faithful in serving Him he will be glorified. Check out what Ephesians 5:15-16 says.
Ephesians 5:15-16, "Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." 
We are to be looking for opportunities. Every day is an opportunity. Some are bigger than others. It may just be that over time God will lay a big idea on your heart and call you to join with others to carry out a big, exciting project that will make a huge difference for the kingdom. It may also just be, though, that God would call you to gather up the nerve to "make the most of the opportunity" when talking to your neighbor about going to church this weekend. The things you do don't have to be earth shattering to have a big, lasting in impact. 

Finally, when we seek God's kingdom, and His righteousness first and foremost then everything else falls into place. Everything else is secondary. The Bible is riddled with verses that hint at this idea, and some that boldly state it. Colossians 3:2 is one of those verses. Simply put, it says this:
Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”


Three things I would encourage:
1. Pray for opportunities to glorify God with your life, that it would benefit the Kingdom.
2. Keep your eyes open for those opportunities.
3. When God shows you the opportunity you've been praying for thank Him for it and take action accordingly.



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