This month I've joined the Christian Writers Blog Chain, and our theme is "opportunity", so that's what I've decided I'll write about all month long. Please check out the sidebar!
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They say opportunity knocks, and it's a good idea to be ready to open the door if it does. We get new chances every day, but if we lack something - such as knowledge, time, energy or resources - we cannot take advantage of opportunity. In general, we cannot rise to the moment if we are not prepared. I can't bake a cake if I'm out of sugar, and I can't have lunch with my friends if I don't have the time or money. I can't accept a job if I have a prior commitment, or lack the knowledge to do it .
The second point is the aspect of waiting for the right opportunity - or even the right time to take advantage of that opportunity. There are things that we know are right for us and we have enough time (or knowledge, energy or resources) to go ahead with the project, but something isn't on target. Just like planting a vegetable garden in November isn't a good idea if you live up north, sometimes it is necessary to wait for the right conditions to start a business or take a vacation.
My third consideration is that there are mindsets that block opportunity: mainly fear and procrastination. Success entails risk and work. Being set in our ways protects us from both.
Do you want to open a business? Do your homework, check the math, then decide and carry through.
Would you like to learn a new skill? Tell yourself that you will do fine instead of being afraid of failure. Too much of life is wasted on procrastination.
Occasionally, I've felt like time was running out, and it turned out to be true. Opportunity does not last forever, and often it's like a window opening with a very limited timeframe for the decision.
But where is God in all this? He is the one making the opportunities, and He wants us to act when we've understood his will and got his approval. We often want Him to "help" us before we start and throughout the entire project (in other words, do it for us) but God wants us to courageously step out onto the waves even as we trust in his assistance.
The best example of that is Moses, standing in front of the Red Sea with the Israelites while the Egyptians were catching up fast.
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. Exodus 14:13-16
Like Moses, we often sit there waiting for God's mighty hand to intervene, but if we were listening, we would hear Him say "quit waiting and get started". Sometimes God's plan is for us to kick the door open and step into the action.
Bible verses taken from the New Internation Version, www.biblegateway.com
