Monday, March 28, 2011

Has God opened a door for you?

This morning I was reading  from Colossians 4- I will read it from "The Message" a paraphrase written by Eugene Peterson.

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with you eyes wide open in gratitude.  Don't forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I'm locked up in this jail.  Pray that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.  Use your head as you live and work among outsiders.  Don't miss a trick.  Make the most of every opportunity.  Be gracious in your speech.  The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

I will stop there for there is so much said in these few verses!  But, as I asked the Lord what to write about today, this is what He told me to share and so lets dive in.

These verses are speaking to us about our relationship with the lost, the "outsiders" as it is put here.  So what are we commanded to do.

1.) Pray diligently-we are given specific instruction to pray for open doors for telling others about Christ, and pray that Christ will be clearly and plainly explained to them.  Paul is asking the church to pray for him, that WHILE HE IS IN PRISON he will have doors opened to speak about Christ and speak in a clear way.  This is convicting to me.  Paul is asking us to pray for doors to open while he sits in a horrible prison, unlike the prisons we know of today.  I've got to be honest, when I read this, I thought, "Wow, I would be praying for doors to open....for the prison doors to open!! so I could get out of there!"  Yet Paul, having the heart of an evangelist and an immense love for the Lord, asked for folks to pray that he would have opportunity to speak of Christ.

2.) Stay alert-It is so easy to miss an opportunity- I found this out the other morning.  It was almost 5am and I was on my way to work.  I take the 5 freeway to the 118.  I do this a few times a week.  I was driving, listening to the news on the radio and thinking about all that was going on in the world as I heard all the bad news.  All of a sudden I saw this maybe 6 story building close to the freeway and I thought wow, why haven't I seen this building before?  I soon realized I had missed the exit to the 118 and was still on the 5.  I had missed my opportunity.  I was paying enough attention to drive safely but I wasn't with my "eyes wide open" so I missed my opportunity.  Thankfully, there was an exit ahead and I was able to get back on the right freeway.  We don't always have that same opportunity when it comes to witnessing. We may never see that person again, or they may die before we have another opportunity to share Christ with them.

God gives us many opportunities to speak about Christ- but how often do we miss that opportunity- Many times I've got to the end of the day and had that "aha" moment when it hit me, God had given me an opportunity, I had missed it.

3.) Use your head as you live and work among outsiders- I thought about this and to me this was a statement that covered a lot of ground.  I believe we see that as we read ahead and are admonished to be gracious in our speech and bring out the best in them- When God opens doors, we need to take advantage of that opportunity- but in a gentle Christlike manner.  I love how we read that when Jesus looked out on the crowds, He was moved with compassion, for He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)  Jesus  didn't shy away from speaking the truth, but He always spoke in love.

When I look around this world today, I am speechless at times at what I see, what I read about, what I hear about on the radio. Gross sin and immorality that used to take place in a more "behind closed doors" is now more "in your face" than it has ever been.  Christianity is mocked and we are hated more now than any other time in my middle aged life.  It would be easy and it is tempting to get angry and to lash out at those who are involved in this type of behavior- yet when I am tempted, I always here the Holy Spirit reminding me that Jesus saw these folks with eyes of compassion for they are sheep with no shepherd.  We must speak the Truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)

When the Holy Spirit reminds me of this- it is not just a reminder but a mandate to lovingly introduce them to the Shepherd.  The Lord reminded me how I love to introduce my husband to friends at work or people that know me but don't know my husband.  I am so proud of him, I will take the time and make the effort to introduce him.  Yet, as much as I love my husband,.I know that if they never met him it would not greatly impact their lives and he certainly is not the one who will determine the eternal destiny of their souls.  The Lord reminded me, I am a child of the King of Kings, yet how often to I take the time and make the effort to introduce folks to Him?  If people fail to meet Him, their lives will be greatly affected as will the destiny of their eternal souls!

Time is short- I don't know when the Lord will return- but I do believe we are living in the last days.  Even if the Lord should tarry many more days, time is still short.  So many times I have looked back over my high school days, my college days and I ask myself  "where has time gone?"  I know you have done the same.

Let us not come to the end of our lives here on earth with regrets that we did not make the most of every door the Lord opened for us.

"Only one life, will soon be passed- only what's done for Christ will last"

To God be the glory