Make The Most

I’ll make a blanket statement and say that often times, we as believers, aren’t looking for opportunities to share our faith with others. We aren’t praying for opportunities, and we’re not ready should they arise. Not every conversation with someone has to be Christ focused. But I believe that if we are wise, if we make the most of every opportunity, if our conversations are full of grace, then we will be primed when God opens the door to truly sharing about Christ. Why do I believe this? Because of what Colossians 4, verses 5 and 6 say. It says: 

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

We never know when God may choose to orchestrate a divine appointment. It may not be leading someone to Christ, it could be just giving someone an encouraging word at just the right time. Who knows how God will choose to use you and when? But that’s the point. We need to be ready to make the most of every opportunity. And when those opportunities arise, I’m convinced that we don’t have to force anything. All we have to do is let our conversations be “always full of grace and seasoned with salt” as the bible says. Then it’ll be like we just know what to say. Well, I hope that both motivates you while also taking some of the pressure off when it comes to our role in the great commission.

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I confess that I’m not the best when it comes to making the most of every opportunity especially when it comes to connecting with strangers. I’ve missed several opportunities to just have conversations with those I believe God was urging me to connect with, and I’ve regretted every one of them. We shouldn’t ignore those around us, but as Colossians says, we should be wise in the way we act toward outsiders. So, I encourage you to speak to someone you don’t know when you feel the Lord prodding you. The conversation may never get around to Christ, but you’ll be making the most of every opportunity, and God may use you to do an important thing in someone else’s life especially if your conversation is full of grace.

By Him, For Him

I love how Jesus is described in Colossians 1. To me, it is more than just a simple description, it also sheds light on the meaning of life. In Colossians 1 verses 15 and 16, referring to Jesus, it says:

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

In my mind, the answer to the meaning of life is that all things were created by him and for him. That means that we were also created by him and for him. If you have never given much thought to that concept, I encourage you to do it today. We weren’t just created by some random collision of particles in space, we were created by Jesus and for Jesus. Paul also goes on to remind us that yes, he created things that we can see, but also created things that we can’t. So, I also encourage you to be aware of the heavenly realms – the things we can’t see. I believe that there is major activity going on all around us every day that we can’t see – like angels taking flight to intervene on our behalf or to carry out answers to prayer. Anyway, it’s worth thinking about.

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Jesus made all things for himself; things that we understand and things that can’t even see. But you and I are one of his creations and we were made for him. We were made to love him, to have relationship with him, to praise and glorify him, and ultimately to spend eternity with him. We were made in his image, and we are in fact, sons and daughters of the Most High. So I encourage you not to take the fact that we were made by Jesus and for Jesus lightly. This knowledge should help define who you are; God’s loving creation and joint heirs with Jesus himself.