New Reminders: Opportunity
by Ardith Hoff
The word opportunity comes from two words in Latin, "ob" meaning “in front of, or toward” and "portus", meaning “harbor”. One entomologist summed it up beautifully, saying that it means: “The wind that takes you home.” That is a lovely image that implies smooth sailing toward our goal.
Opportunities do not always come knocking on our doors. Sometimes we have to go looking for the right door to knock on before anything will open for us. An opportunity is a set of circumstances that provide a chance to do something. According to dictionary.com, “Opportunity is an appropriate or favorable time or occasion––a situation or condition for attainment of a goal”. It can also be: “a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.”
Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that in Christ all opportunities are made possible and can turn into a blessing. In Christ, our opportunities are made achievable goals, far beyond our wildest dreams and expectations. It says: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” It is up to us to seek out the opportunities, but God is the one who will actually fling the doors open for us. When we pray for an opportunity to do something good, doors will open for us, if it is God’s will. Sometimes what we might think is a good opportunity can be a bad move, but God does not deny us the chance to try it. He knows it is not what we think it is, but He also knows that we will learn a valuable lesson if we go ahead with it. Maybe it is a bad investment of our time, energy, and resources, but the experience of failure can teach us when our motives were wrong, and that we need to approach every opportunity with prayerful confidence, but in humility. We need to recognize that God can use us to do His work, but we have to be ready and willing to walk through whatever door He opens for us, even if the opportunity is not one, we would have pursued for our own purposes.
“For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” I Corinthians 16:9. In this passage, the apostle Paul acknowledges the presence of obstacles but focuses on the open door of opportunity for effective ministry. This verse reminds us that even in the face of challenges, we can seize the opportunities that God presents, trusting in His strength and overcoming adversity for His glory. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13