Have you ever walked into your favorite store when you knew you didn’t have the money to get anything? It’s usually a sad affair. It’s almost as if you find more things that you want to buy when you know you can’t buy anything. But when you walk into that same store with a gift card in hand, suddenly, everything changes. Free from the limit of your own bank account, you walk in excited to see what you can find. Everything on the shelves is an opportunity instead of a disappointment.
This is the idea Paul is getting at as we read “make the most of every opportunity” in Ephesians 5. When we live of this world, we are choosing to live life limited by our own strength, wisdom, abilities, money, time, and resources. Even when we do try to seize opportunities, we go for worldly opportunities that grow insignificant and finite resources for ourselves. We miss out on the life God has for us.
But when we truly make the most of every opportunity, we rely on a limitless God instead of our own limits. Rather than chasing worldly pursuits that have an expiration date, we pursue eternal work that grows the kingdom of God. When we live this way, everything in our lives is an opportunity to change eternities and bring God glory. We are intentional and strategic about how we spend our resources because they are gifts from God to be redeemed.
Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power at work within us” (NIV). Although our eternity is secure in Jesus, our lives on this earth are finite. As we finish our lives on earth, we can intentionally buy up all the time we’ve been given to spend our lives for the sake of the Gospel. Then, we will see God do “immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.”
Reflection/Discussion Question: How have you been spending your time lately?
Comments