When Opportunity
Knocks……Open The Door!
A used car salesman, while
driving up a hill, said, “Owning this car is the opportunity of a
lifetime.” The prospective buyer
replied, “Yes, I can hear it knocking already.” We have all heard the saying, “Opportunity knocks,” but the
question is are we listening?
Jesus said, “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you” (Matt. 28:19-20). This command
was not just for the first century disciples, but for us as well. We have many opportunities to fulfill this
command, but unfortunately, we sometimes let them slip by without even noticing
them. Consider, for a moment, a few of
the opportunities we have on a daily basis in reaching out to the lost.
Door Knocking.
No, I am not talking about going to someone’s house and knocking on
their door (although it is an option).
Rather I am talking about the times when our door is knocked on. Too often we’re quick to shut the door with
a hurried word of “I’m not interested!”
Instead, let us realize the opportunity that is before us to teach a
lost soul the good news of Jesus Christ.
Paul said, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making
the most of the opportunity” (Col. 4:5).
Running Around.
This is perhaps the biggest area of our lives with the most
opportunities to teach. Stop and
consider for a moment the number of people we come in contact with on a daily
basis. There’s the girl at the check
out, the mailman, co-workers, etc., all of which have a soul that needs to be
saved. Jesus said, “Do you not say,
‘There are four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields,
that they are white for harvest” (Jn. 4:35). As we run from here to there, let us be conscious of those we
come in contact with and take a moment to either share the gospel with them or
simply give them an invitation to services.
Each Other.
While we should be focused on reaching those outside of the body of
Christ, we cannot lose sight of those within.
What do we do when one of our own is sick, depressed, or having
problems? Paul said, “Therefore,
encourage one another, and build up one another…” (I Thess. 5:11). The church is to be a family. Just as we would do what we could to help
our physical family in their time of need, let us not forget those in our
spiritual family. Take a moment each
day to let one of your fellow Christians know how much you care for them.
We all have opportunities, but
it’s up to us to make good use of them.
As we go through this week, let us keep in mind those we come in contact
with. We could be the ones to show them
God’s plan for salvation. May God bless
you as you strive to make good on each opportunity.