When Opportunity Knocks, Colossians 4:5
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
What is it to be wise? To be wise is to correctly apply the knowledge you have to the situations you find yourself in.
Who are outsiders? Those who do not yet know the Lord, Jesus Christ.
What is it to make the most of every opportunity? To not let a moment slip by where you aren't, in some way, doing something meaningful, impacting, or purposeful.
Therefore, to be wise in the way we act toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity means that we are consciously looking at our behavior and taking note of how it is affecting non-believers around us. Since we are branded by the name of Jesus Christ, it is important to note how we are representing Christ to these people. We ought to correctly apply to our interactions with non-believers the knowledge we have of the Lord, that knowledge which we have gained through Bible study, prayer, and our personal relationships with the Lord. This means not only knowing the Word, but obeying and applying it to our lives and actions.
We must make the mose of every opportunity-- that is, every time we come in contact with a non-believer, we have the opportunity to show them, by our actions, words, behavior, and attitudes, who Jesus is, who God is.
We must remember, and realize, that every single person on this planet who does not know Jesus is headed for eternal damnation. Not only that, but we have no guaranteed longevity of life. We have no idea when our last breath on earth will be, when we will pass from this life into the next. Our next step could lead us to death, and we will step into eternity-- ready or not. Whatever decisions we made in this life are solidified in death. You cannot change your mind and believe once you have died; it is only on earth that we can make that decision.
Every chance you have to show the love of Christ is a chance to save someone from eternal torment. It is a chance to bring someone into eternal joy and peace in the presence of the loving God and Savior. Every chance we have to pray for someone is a chance to appeal to God's mercy, love, and grace-- And His grace reaches higher than the heavens!
When we keep these important truths in mind, it is not hard to break out of our comfort zones, our little spheres of self-absorption that we so often find ourselves hiding in. It is then that we find the willingness and ability to make shining God's light through our lives and not blending in with the world a real priority. Like a lighthouse is maintained daily and shines its light to save the lives of countless seamen, so too we must maintain our witness through communication with God, bringing the hope of eternal life to countless multitudes.
Don't think for a moment that your witness as a representative of Christ can be put on hold because of some mood you are in or an illness or trial-- It is in those times that the world is watching us the most! When they see the saving power of God, His mercy and grace, His joy shining even brighter than ever... It is then that people are drawn to the Lord and see the real difference between life in the world and life with Jesus.