-Napoleon Bonaparte
As of late, my thoughts have been drifting to some of my past achievements and what it took to accomplish them. Such achievements such as earning my college degree, gaining a new car and bass guitar, and most recently earning my full-time status at my current place of employment are all great examples of these achievements and truly make me joyful. But how did I earn these achievements and how did these occur? One word - opportunity. There is an opportunity involved before these moments and every moment, small or vast, in our lives. I had to take a step in faith with each of the previously mentioned opportunities and try and make the most of them, regardless if the payoff was immediate or not.
My recent train of thoughts are inspired by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Colossi. While Paul is imprisoned in what could be considered (in those days) one of the worst holding areas imaginable, he writes in this letter, which is found in Colossians 4:5, "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity (NLT)." This sentiment is echoed throughout all of his letters, including his letter to Ephesus: "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (5:15-16; NLT)."
So my question to you reading this entry is what are you doing with the opportunities presented to you? I know there are a lot of opportunities I have failed to act upon because of my own indecisiveness, fears, or because I failed to acknowledge that an opportunity existed. Some of these missed opportunities have cost myself and some people close to me and I have learned it is less costly to make the most of these opportunities right away.
Unfortunately, many of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus suffer from this same weakness. We see an opportunity in front of us, look at it for a second, maybe even wave or examine it a bit, but before we know it, the opportunity vanishes and it is lost forever. Paul instructs all of us to "make the most of every opportunity," and yet we choose by our action of inaction to watch some of them pass by.
You may be trying to justify to yourself that some of these "opportunities" were minute and have no bearing on where you are in life. This may be true, sure, but you are forgetting that as a follower of Christ, your life is no longer your own to serve. Your actions or lack thereof may greatly affect another individual, and you making the most of these opportunities, as minute as they may appear, could lead that person closer to God. Remember that your actions, your thoughts, and what you choose or not choose to do affect more than you may realize, regardless how small or insignificant the opportunity appears. Consider this the "butterfly effect" of God's plan. One missed opportunity that seems insignificant may cause untold consequences to others later on down the road of Life.
As you examine the opportunities presented in your life, keep in mind what we are warned about in James 4:14 - "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog ('mist' in other translations) - it is here a little while, then it's gone (NLT)." We are only given a short amount of time on this Earth to make an impact towards others and for the glory of the Almighty. This may be a message or virtue you may already be aware of or practicing, but be aware that reading this entry also presents an opportunity, as well. You may only get one shot at certain opportunities. His timing is truly everything, so make the most of these opportunities presented to you before, just like Life, "it is gone."
