Opportunity's Window

12-1-2010

Opportunity’s Window by Boyd Bailey


“He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Proverbs 10:5

Some opportunities can be seasonal, which means it is important to “make hay while the sun shines.” It is also a warning to not assume that your current opportunity will always remain, at least in its current form. Do not take your opportunity for granted. Thank God for it every day and ask Him how to steward its value.

Certainly it involves allowing others to leverage a new opportunity from yours. Opportunities are not to be hoarded; rather, they are to be dispensed. Remember those who believed in you and were stepping-stones to this opportunity. If it were not for their confidence in you and your abilities, you would still be languishing. Do not forget where you came from. Avoid pride and egotism. This happens when you spread the love.

You can become an opportunity creator because of the opportunities afforded to you by others. The one thing greater than enjoying opportunity is giving opportunity. Pray today for a faithful friend and invite them to join you during this window of time. The engagement may be short and impacting or long and enduring—let God figure out those dynamics. It is up to you to steward your current opportunity with prayer and generosity.

Do not take it for granted. It may be here today and gone tomorrow. Keep your financial house in order in preparation for opportunity’s transition. Presumption on the future is not a wise choice to make. You could risk losing everything. Consolidate your resources and protect yourself from the worst-case scenario. Ultimately, the future is in God’s hands but give Him your faithfulness, not your foolishness, to work with.

God is the opportunity maker. Thank Him often and give Him the credit for your good fortune. Don’t just tip God with recognition, but truly integrate your faith into the workplace. He does not need patronizing, rather He desires passionate followers who engage the culture on His behalf. It is the difference between God as an “add on” or as “standard equipment” for our travel through life.

Pray for opportunities that will broaden your platform to be an influencer for God. Opportunity is for a Kingdom purpose. As you manage your current opportunity well, God can trust you with additional opportunities. Do not feel the pressure to make things happen. God can deliver to you more deals than you can say grace over. He is the consummate Kingdom dealmaker. Also, you may not be quite ready for the “big deal.”

It could be that in your present season of life you need to give attention to weightier matters like education, training, marriage foundations, children’s activities, character development and spiritual maturity. Use this perceived parenthesis in life to learn new things, such as how to be a better manager and leader. Learn how to run a meeting efficiently and effectively. Do the same with your time management and administrative skills.

Get to know God, as well as your wife and children so that when an opportunity arises, you can attack it from a position of strength. Ask God for wisdom and faith on which opportunities to take and which ones to let pass by. And when you are in the middle of a grand opportunity, go for it. Wear it out and then rest when it is over. You have a window of time. Use it for God’s glory before it shuts!