Category Archives: Opportunities

Dec 21

Opportunities For Generous Living

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Photo by Elaine Casap on Unsplash

 

The lights are hung, the trees are decorated, the parties are planned and mostly completed and the last few gifts are being wrapped. This is truly one of the most wonderful times of the year. This season is a special time for all of us for many different reasons, but perhaps one of my favorite reasons is because of people’s generosity. We don’t have to look very far to see generous hearts all around. Turn on the news and see how a “Secret Santa” is paying off thousands of dollars of people’s layaways. Look closely at you and your friend’s behavior. During this holiday season we don’t just give gifts to our family, we give gifts to our friends and even our coworkers. Generosity is all around during Christmas.

However, what about the other eleven months of the year? Are we just as generous in June or July as we are during the month of December? Sadly, I’m afraid we do not live with this same generosity throughout the entire year. Maybe there are many reasons for why this tends to be the case, and perhaps some of these reasons we may even consider to be very good reasons. However, as Christians, we are called to not neglect doing good and sharing what we have (Heb. 13:16).

Paul, speaking to the churches in Galatia, said, “So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). Notice the phrase, “As we have the opportunity.” Every day you and I have several opportunities to be generous and bless the lives of other people by doing good. Sometimes those blessings come in the form of something big, while most of the time they come in the form of something on a much smaller scale. Whether big or small though, we must make the most of these opportunities for generosity.

The holiday season will soon be over, but I pray our generosity toward others will not be over. Let’s be as generous in the next few months as we are during the current holiday season. May you and I model generous lives before others so that our heavenly Father receives all the glory and honor (Matt. 5:13-16).

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Sep 17

Every Day Is A Holiday

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Photo Credit: davidyuweb via Compfight cc

In high school I had a football coach who had a saying he would drill into our minds almost every day. The saying was simple, yet profound. At the beginning of practice he would shout, “Boys, every day is a holiday and every meal is a feast.” Now, I have to admit, at first I did not quite understand the point my coach was trying to make. After all, how is every day a holiday, especially when you are on a practice field in temperatures 90 degrees and above?

It was not until a few weeks later I began to see exactly what my coach wanted us to see when he would give us those words of inspiration. He wanted us to see every day we came to practice as a blessing. We had the privilege and opportunity to participate in a sport we all loved to play. If we viewed each day as a privilege, we would be more likely to make the most of that day.

Here I am 12 years later, and I still think back to that old saying and the wisdom behind it. I have now come to realize every day I wake up should be viewed as a special day, a day that I have an opportunity to enjoy and use for good. Even though at times the world around us is depressing and seems almost hopeless, each day we wake up is another opportunity God has given us to make a difference in the lives of those around us. How will we choose to view each new day?

Friends, each day we wake up should be viewed as a holiday, a special day to use for God’s glory. Instead of viewing it with dread, try viewing it with excitement and anticipation. Think of all the endless possibilities that lie before us, some of which we have not even taken hold of yet. Every day truly is a holiday.

“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 1118:24)

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Jun 18

Take Opportunities to Improve

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We are only a few weeks into the summer break and so much already has taken place. Our summer began with our second annual Bible Day Camp here at Karns. We had 31 kids spend several hours each day engaging in fun and learning biblical truths. Each day was spent playing games, having a Bible lesson, doing arts and crafts, watching a skit put on by our teen helpers and enjoying a snack together. The purpose of this week was to help teach our kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade that Jesus truly is different from every other person who has ever lived. The kids’ excitement and enthusiasm was contagious! I’m already looking forward to next year.

This past week we held our annual Leadership Camp here at Karns. We had 15 campers come from various parts of the southeast to learn how to be better servants in the Lord’s church. I’m prayerful that each camper is leaving today with a greater knowledge of how to serve the Lord. Plans are already under way to make Leadership Camp 2013 one of the best years we have ever had.

As I sit here and reflect on the past two weeks, I can’t help but wonder, “How many of us adults fail to take advantage of opportunities to improve our relationship with God? How many of us could use a week’s worth of training to improve in the areas where we are leaders?”

I know the summer is a busy time of year for everyone, believe me. I also know we can get so busy we fail to take the time to improve our relationship with our heavenly Father. If there is one thing I have been reminded of in the last two weeks, it is that we all need to constantly improve, no matter our age. I want to challenge each of us to make the most of the opportunities we have to be better servants of our God, not only this summer, but every day of our lives.

The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (I Cor. 15:58). Habits take action! Why not start today making it a habit to make the most of your opportunities to grow spiritually? Just think of the difference it could make!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Jul 18

Missed Opportunities!

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It looked like they were going to do it again!  The United States Women’s Soccer Team was only four minutes away from winning their record setting third World Cup title.  Eyes all across this country were glued to the television set anticipating a celebration like no other in women’s soccer history.  What they saw instead may have been the most disappointing loss in the history of the U.S. women’s soccer team.

On two separate occasions, the United States looked like they were going to be victorious.  The first was in regulation.  The U.S. had a one goal lead with nine minutes left, only to let Japan tie up the game.  In the extra time period, the U.S. again looked as though they would hoist the World Cup trophy.  With four minutes left to play in the extra period and the United States clinging to a 2-1 lead, Japan did it again; they tied up the game in the closing minutes of play and sent the Women’s World Cup final to penalty kicks.  Unfortunately, for the U.S., their luck ran out.  Japan beat the United States on penalty kicks securing a marvelous run to the World Cup title.  For the U.S. all that was left was what might have been.

Anyone who watched this match knows that the United States should have won.  They completely dominated the majority of the match.  Regrettably, they fell short because of missed opportunities.  In the first half, the U.S. had several opportunities to score and put the game away.  Instead, they missed those opportunities and allowed Japan to stay in the game and eventually win.  I believe when our girls look back on this loss, they will be reminded of all their missed opportunities.

I’m afraid that many of us do exactly the same thing every day of our lives.  We miss opportunities that could impact and change the outcome of something far more important than a soccer game.  We miss opportunities that could change the outcome of people’s lives.  The apostle Paul said, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10).  Paul stressed to the church at Galatia the importance of making the most of opportunities to do good.

Every morning we wake up to a new day, we have multiple opportunities to do things for others.  Maybe it is something small like being kind to them, or asking them how they are doing.  Perhaps it’s something bigger like helping them through a difficult time in their lives or teaching them the Gospel of Christ.  It doesn’t matter whether or not we consider it big or small, when an opportunity presents itself, let’s make the most of that opportunity.  We will never understand the impact our actions and words can have on the outcome of someone’s life until we are willing to take those opportunities and use them for good.  I don’t want to look back over my life with regret and remember all the missed opportunities I had to change the outcome of someone’s life.  I want to know that I made the most of those opportunities presented to me.  Friends, let’s make the most of our opportunities, you never know, you may have an opportunity to affect someone’s eternal destiny.

Now that’s Something to Think About!