“Therefore, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people….“ –Galatians 6:10a (NASB)
It was a week ago last Tuesday. Susan and I had just left the Fairfield Library after casting our votes in the primary election. We decided to stop at one of the local restaurants for a quick dinner. As we drove by the UDF, we noticed that the price of gas was $3.74 a gallon. Our tank was half full and we wondered if we should top it off. Instead, we chose to wait until Thursday when we would fill up on the way home from Bible study. Gas jumped to $4.15 the next morning, an increase of $0.41 cents per gallon.
Missed opportunities; we’ve all experienced them. “Been there, done that”, you say. But we move on. Inevitably, somewhere down the road, again we will say, “I wish I had purchased gas yesterday. “
The Bible has quite a lot to say about opportunity, especially when it comes to loving and serving others. I confess that I may miss as many opportunities to do good, as I do to embrace those opportunities to do good. I hope that my record of opportunities fulfilled is greater than my record of opportunities missed. Most of us regret those missed opportunities; “I’ll do it the next time”, we tell ourselves. But what if there isn’t a next time?
The answer is simple. Jesus modeled it for us. Love God, love others, and serve one another. One of my life guiding scriptures is Hebrews 12:15(NIV), “See to it that no one misses the grace of God.” It is my belief that this verse is not just about the gift of Salvation, but also about the gift of abundant life that we can share with each other. God has been gracious to me, and I am compelled to show that grace to others. I encourage you to join with me in this prayer for the week:
“Gracious Lord, you used every opportunity to do good to all people you encountered while here on earth. Give me opportunities to show love to others, and by the power of your Holy Spirit, give me the grace and strength to be your hands and feet to someone who needs my help today.”
By the way, on her way to work this morning, Susan noted that gas is now $4.39 a gallon at UDF.
Have a blessed week,
Dave