Title: Take Your Best Opportunity / Galatians 5
Contents We live in a chaotic era where the future is unpredictable, in which all circumstances change more rapidly than at any other time in the past. I don't know how I should live the day-to-day life given to me, how to deal with this problem, and how exhausted I am mentally and physically because I am so concerned about various things. Today passed safely, but I am very anxious about what will happen tomorrow.
There may be good things ahead, and there may be things that are worrying. I am living a healthy life today, but one day my body may suddenly get sick, I may become more busy with what I am currently doing, or I may become more leisurely. Wealth may increase, or it may decrease terribly. Not only that, the whole country may be at peace, a great war or coup may suddenly occur, and there may be great difficulties due to natural disasters.
Don't use it as an opportunity for the flesh.
In today's text, we are told not to use everything given to us as an opportunity for the flesh. The “flesh” referred to here refers to corruption and sinfulness that is hostile to God. In other words, the “flesh” refers to the bad nature of the devil that was born from the fall of man, and does not do things that please God, but rather chooses only the evil things that God hates. Therefore, when we are given freedom and an opportunity to do what we want, we should discern that moment and do not use it as an opportunity for the flesh.
Every situation that comes to us is, in a sense, a new opportunity for ourselves. Therefore, when given this opportunity, we should not be anxious or fretful. Please do not use it as an undesirable opportunity to commit more fleshly sins. Rather, we should become believers who know that we have been given a new opportunity to do good, and use that opportunity to give glory to God more and more.
What opportunities should we use to benefit from the new situation?
1. Use it as an opportunity to learn.
No matter what situation arises, if we take advantage of every opportunity while pondering what to realize and learn in that situation, it will surely bring benefits to us, and furthermore, it will become an opportunity to grow and mature.
For example, if a person who has been very busy has a lot of free time to spare, someone will say, “You are handsome. Here's a good opportunity. There will be people who use this time only as a physical opportunity, saying, “Let’s play golf and play hard that we haven’t played before.” On the other hand, “God has given me a special time. Let’s take this opportunity to study, read the Bible, go to a prayer center, do volunteer work, and travel with our family.” Some people come up with such beautiful plans. So, which of the two would you say has had a beneficial opportunity in your life?
2. Use it as an opportunity to do good.
No matter what happens, if we think about what good things we can do at this time and use them as an opportunity to do good things that please God, I believe that no matter what happens, we will be blessed. Therefore, as we emphasized in today's text, when we are given any freedom, we should not be foolish people who use it as an opportunity for the flesh, but rather use it as a good opportunity to serve one another through love.
A priest in our church lived with his elderly father-in-law, but he was not in perfect spirit. He became weak like a child and could not even urinate, so he had to wash the dirty bedding every day, wash his body, and remove his dentures to clean them. However, the miraculous thing is that the father-in-law, who does not recognize his family or even his own son, recognizes Mr. Lee, the daughter-in-law who always shows love and filial piety for him. However, she did not recognize her as a daughter-in-law, but as a mother who took care of her and called her mother until she died. If the Lord's love had not overflowed within you, how could you have done this with joy?
We should use whatever opportunity comes our way to do good. If God has given you a large amount of money that you did not expect, do not waste it like a foolish prodigal son. When it is in my hands or entrusted to me, consider it an opportunity to do good, and do many things that please God.
Use time and money as opportunities for good.
Someone I know was worth tens of billions of dollars. But one day, the business went bankrupt, and all that wealth was lost. Rather, it has landed in debt. Everyone! Money goes round and round, so no one knows who will get it. Just because it's in my hands doesn't mean it's mine. Therefore, when God has entrusted it to me now, when I have spare time, I hope that you will do many things that please God, thinking of it as an opportunity to do good. If you think, “If you make more money later, you should do it a lot then”, but you may miss the time and regret it. If the situation is difficult, you can do less.
Also, when you are given a good job or position, please take advantage of it knowing that it is an opportunity to do good. When Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt, he did not even think of revenge, but rather ruled the country well and forgave and showed mercy to his brothers who tried to torture and kill him.
When you are given a high position at work, when you are promoted to a higher position in the military, or when you are in a good position as a civil servant, do not use that blessing as an opportunity to enjoy only yourself. What is good?” Please think.
David hid into a cave to escape from King Saul's pursuit, but after a while King Saul and his companions also entered there looking for a resting place. At this time, David had a golden opportunity to kill King Saul, but he thought that he could not attack God's anointed man, so he cut off only one corner of his robe to show that he was still a faithful servant of the king. I did. How could David with such a heart not be blessed?
In 2 Samuel 16, there are two reactions among those who see David fleeing to his son's rebellion. Among them, a man named Shimei saw David and threw stones at him and cursed and cursed him. But to David in trouble, Mephibosheth's servant Ziba came to David with two saddled donkeys, with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred raisins, one hundred summer yarns, and one hundred sacks of wine, and brought the donkey to ride, and to eat and drink bread, fruit, and wine. He offered a favor. When Saul ascended to the throne after his death, David did not interfere with Saul's descendants. Rather, he showed love to Saul's descendants and treated them well.
3. We must use it as an opportunity to share the Gospel.
Whenever the apostle Paul was imprisoned, there were always those who followed Saul. The Apostle Paul never missed a good opportunity to share the gospel with these soldiers and guards. The people who heard the gospel preached the gospel to the people next to them, and then the governor came to Paul and even heard the gospel. Even when the Apostle Paul was arrested by his enemies, tried in front of many people, and ridiculed, he did not miss the opportunity to testify and preach the gospel diligently.
In Matthew 10:16-20, behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles. Do not worry about what you will say or what you will say when you hand me over. It is not you, but the Holy Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
In other words, God's people who love His people, those who live by faith, suffer persecution, stand before their enemies, and suffer in order to give them an opportunity to evangelize. Then I told them not to be afraid of what to say. Because the Holy Spirit within us will let us speak what we say. You don't have to worry about living or dying. Because our life and death are in God's hands. Martyrdom can only be enjoyed by those who have received special blessings from God.
Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were not afraid even in the scorching furnace, but instead declared, "God will deliver us, or even if it is not, we will not bow down before the king's image." They were all thrown alive in the hot furnace, but God saved them without even a single hair on their head. King Nebuchadnezzar, who was watching this amazing scene from his side, also recognized God.
Looking at Esther in the Old Testament, Mordecai carefully raised Esther, a beautiful woman without a father, and made her into a queen. However, when the Jewish people faced a great national crisis in which all of them would die, I urged the queen, Esther, to rescue the Jewish people, saying, "You became a queen not for personal glory, but for this time."
Hearing this, Esther prepares to fast, then goes to the king with the determination that if she dies, she will die, and in the end does an amazing work of saving the Jewish people.
Those who will be seated in good seats by God's blessing in the future, please use this opportunity as an opportunity to evangelize. Even those who work in the workplace, please do not think of it as an opportunity to earn money, and evangelize diligently with a sense of mission that God sent to this company as a missionary. If we use the present time as an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to do good works, and a good opportunity to evangelize, I believe that all things will work together to achieve good and become a blessing.
Ephesians 5:16 says save the time, for the times are evil. Therefore, I pray that you will not waste your time and waste your time, but use every hour of your time as a good opportunity to become saints who live beautifully.