June 17, 2020
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It was always pretty exciting traveling with my wife. Well, but my wife with her camera was really exciting, because she could see things that I didn't see. Oh, yeah, I'd have to stop the car for what appeared to be no reason because she'd go, "Stop! Quick!" And, you know, when I'd see the picture, then I'd realize why we had to stop back then.
Oh, sometimes it was a little sign that later told a powerful story, or she'd seen one face in the middle of a hundred faces, or that one face captured on film some very poignant human emotion. Or we all got to see that glorious sunset, or that bird she saw in flight, or some very interesting scene that she saw and I missed.
I'm not a photographer; she was. She had an eye for it. Oh, we experience the same setting, but we didn't see the same thing. She saw the possibilities that I couldn't see. And that was one difference between us that continued to amaze me.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "An Eye For Opportunity."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Colossians 4:3. It's actually part of a prayer. Paul says, "Pray for us that God will open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ." Notice that phrase there "open a door." Kind of reminds me of a photographer looking for photo opportunities. As believers we should be like that looking for opportunities for open doors to talk about the difference Jesus is making in our life.
See, my wife and I could be in the same photographic setting, but she was looking for, well, kind of like us who are supposed to be looking for open doors. She was looking for opportunities; I didn't see them. It's like that spiritually. If you're not looking for them, you miss them. If you're looking for them, they're all around you. It's the looking that makes the difference.
So, I'd pull up to my favorite neighborhood restaurant, and I'd said, "Lord, I've been having a crummy day so far. Give me an opportunity to speak some word about You to Joe, the owner." Wouldn't you know it, in the middle of gulping down my lunch, he comes up and says, "You know, they don't make movies like they used to." And we talked about some epic film, which, by the way, has a lot of Christians in it. And I said, "Well, did you ever see this really old movie called The Robe? It's an old movie about Jesus." I don't know why that came into my mind, but it did. He said, "Oh, I don't like that. I'm really tired of all those stories. I had those growing up, and I'm sick of all that stuff. I've heard it all." Then I said to him, "You know, when I see one of those movies, it makes me think about what Jesus did for us. He paid an awful high price for you and me just because He loves us so much."
See, it's an ongoing battle in a relationship to break through, but I had my opportunity. I asked the Lord for it, and He gave me an opportunity to get him thinking about Jesus and the cross.
If you don't know how to get started talking about Jesus, God will open a door if you'll ask Him. An open door is just a natural, God-given opportunity to bring up Jesus. It might be something going on in their life, or something going on in your life, or something going on in the world. Maybe you've been looking for that opening. Well, when it comes, He'll give you the boldness to go through that open door. Just like a photographer, when you look for opportunities, they'll be there.
When you're talking about someone's eternity, you can't miss an opportunity to talk about our Savior, because that's the only hope of an eternity in heaven. Ask Him; He'll give you that opportunity.
Paul said in Colossians 4:5 that follows our word for today from the Word of God, "Make the most of every opportunity." They're all around you. You know what happens when you begin to pray the three-open prayer on a regular basis? Man, you suddenly are positioned by God to make an eternal difference. "Lord, open a door" a natural opportunity. "Lord, open their heart." Get them ready. And "Lord, open my mouth." Give me the courage, the words, the approach.
And you know what's going to happen if you pray that every day? Your every day won't be everyday any more. Because suddenly you will find that eternity will be all over your every day.