“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6 vs. 9 – 10)
There is an advice which says, “Do not leave for tomorrow what today can accomplish.” It is about taking advantage of opportunities once we have them. This simply means that an opportunity does not last forever. In effect, it is saying that if we do not take advantage of whatever opportunity that comes our way to help someone as soon as possible, then we are bound to loose it to someone else. It must equally be understood that once an opportunity is lost, we also lose the blessings that comes with it.
For example, I am a writer who receive ideas from God all the time. Every now and then, an idea which needs development comes to me; it could be an idea for a song, movie story, or even a book like this. However, I do not lose sight of the fact that there are equally so many other writers out there who can equally receive the same ideas from God at the same time as me.
Now, if I received an idea and sits on it without taking action to actualize it, chances are, sooner or later, another writer out there would receive the same idea. If he does and makes good of it before me, the idea becomes useless to me and I lose whatever benefit I would have derived from it. This means that I had the opportunity to use the idea for my benefit, but I did not. When that happens, I cannot blame God. It was all my fault because I failed to make use of the opportunity when it was available to me
Experience has brought me to the bitter realization that ideas are never unique to one person. So many writers receive the same idea at the same time. But no matter how many people receive an idea, that idea can only be credited to the person who takes advantage of the opportunity and makes it a reality. What I am saying is that a million people may have the same idea, but the credit goes to only one person; that is the person who finally puts the idea into a tangible form.
That is how it is when it comes to taking advantage of an opportunity. So many people have had chances to help someone or do something good for humanity; but they missed out because they did not take hold of it when it was available to them. Before long, they realized that someone else was living their dreams. The final result is always “Regret”. That is when you hear people say, “If I had known.”
It is beyond any form of argument that many people have lost several opportunities that could have changed their lives and that of many others because, they were too blind to see the benefits therein. It is pathetic to say that many times people have refused to help someone in need because of racial, ethnic, religious and political reasons. Such people forget that we are all humans created by the same God. This behaviour has robbed many people of glorious opportunities of doing something that would have changed the lives of many and bring them great blessings from the Lord.
Do you remember Rahab of Jericho? She took advantage of an opportunity when she saved the Israeli spies during the conquest of that city and had her name written amongst great people of faith in the Bible. At the same time, it was what she did that saved her family from destruction when Jericho was destroyed by the Israelites. That was because she took advantage of an opportunity that others refused to take. If Rahab refused to save the spies, God would still have saved them but she and her family would have perished with the rest of the people of Jericho. That is how so many people have lost opportunities that would have changed their lives and theirs.
By God’s grace, I have the anointing that can break yokes, including healing the sick and casting out demons. Because of this anointing upon my life, sick people and those suffering from demonic oppressions often come to me for prayers. As a healing and deliverance minister, I have realized that anytime I fail to use my spiritual gifts to help others, I lose a lot of blessings.
If I am called upon to pray for a sick person and I don’t respond as expected, that will not stop God from using another man of God with the same type of anointing to help the person. When that is the case, it means that I have lost an opportunity to bless someone in need and equally be blessed in return.
Let me say this again; if an opportunity to do good presents itself to us and we do not take advantage of it and another person does, it means that we have lost the blessing that would have been ours if we had taken advantage of that opportunity. That was what Apostle Paul meant by the statement, “As we have therefore the opportunity, let us do good unto all men.”
As children of God who have been blessed in various ways by the Father, we must see challenges in the life of others as an opportunity to express our gratitude for what the Lord has done for us by helping them overcome such challenges. If we are healthy and walking about, we must not forget that it is by the Grace of God and not because of our righteous deeds. Being in good health is an opportunity for us to help those who are sick without any strings attached. That is how to appreciate the Lord for the divine health we are enjoying by his grace.
If we have food to eat today, it does not give us the right to laugh at the beggar on the street who cannot afford a meal a day. We should rather see the plight of that person as an opportunity to thank God for providing for us by sharing what we have with the person.
We should not deceive ourselves into believing that we have what we have, and, are what we are because of our good deeds. Make no mistakes about it; whatever we are, or have in life is not by any works of righteousness which we have done. It is only by the Grace of God.
I say again, whatever we are, or whoever we are in the society is by the grace of God, and not because of our good or hard work. The Bible makes it clear that we are successful, not because of our hard work, beauty, or our high level of learning; but because of the mercy of God upon our lives.
“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” (Romans 9 vs. 15 – 16)
According to the above scripture, it is wrong for anyone to glory in his own efforts in this life. We must understand that it is the grace of God that has made the difference between us and the less privileged. When we have such an understanding, it becomes easy for us to stand by those who are falling, knowing that it could have been us if it were not for the mercy and compassion of the Lord upon our lives.
When we consider all of the above, we would understand that extending helping hands to others is the best way to appreciate God’s goodness and mercy upon our own lives. When we help others, we enlarge our own coasts by attracting more blessings into our lives. That was exactly the message Apostle Paul gave to the Galatian church when he said:
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6 vs. 9 – 10)
From the above scripture, it is clear that Apostle Paul knew the benefits of doing good at all times. That was why he encouraged others not to be tired of doing good because it has great rewards.
Now, note this; Apostle Paul did not only encourage people to give; he also practiced giving. That was because he recognized the blessings involved.
Paul was a great man of God with so many followers. It was his ministry that gave birth to so many churches mentioned in the Bible. If he wanted, he could have depended on those churches he established for survival, by living off their tithes and offerings as has become the custom of many men and women of God today. But that was not the case.
The Bible makes it clear that Paul worked with his own hands in order to provide for himself and others who were in need. This was because he knew that there is more blessing in giving than in receiving.
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20 vs. 32 -35)
That was Apostle Paul’s advice to believers in his days. That same advice to support the weak also applies to believers of today because the word of God is the same forever.
We cannot over-emphasize the need for today’s church to learn to support the weak and take care of the less privileged in our midst. It is an essential part of our walk with the Lord. But then, it is only those who have the love of Christ in their hearts that can do it. It is so because true giving is a product of love.
There are opportunities to do good all around us. Take advantage of it and be a blessing to someone now. God bless you.
Source: “Truth be told (TBT) series”
Author: Apostle Frank B. Ogbu
Head Pastor/Overseer
Champion Grace Eternal Ministries
Ayikai Doblo, Amasaman
Accra, Ghana
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