“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
Mark 13:32-33
Anyone who knows sports knows that turnovers and missed opportunities, especially in the game of basketball, spell disaster. This was never more apparent than in the championship game of our holiday tournament, when our starting point guard had 11 turnovers before halftime, and our team faced a 12-point deficit. The message for her was simple at halftime: “What could you do with 11 more possessions? Could you score the 12 points we need? Perhaps dish out 6 assists to overcome the deficit?”
The same can be said of the Christian walk in which missed opportunities to share the love of Christ and to be a witness for Him will spell certain disaster for those around us, who without Christ will spend eternity apart from Him. In Mark 13:32-33, Jesus tells us that no one knows the time when He will return and that we are to take heed, watch and pray. This is an important fact for each of us to remember because, like the game of basketball, we have only a few opportunities to share the gospel with those around us, and we must make the most of those chances.
Many of us say that we can wait until tomorrow or next week, just like we say that we will make it up on the next possession of a game. But that next chance may never come, so we must make the most of every opportunity.
Fortunately for us the game had a happy ending. In the second half, our point guard got back on track, and we won the game on her last-second shot. Through persistence and making the most of every opportunity in the second half, we were able to win the championship. The same can happen in the Christian walk: If we make the most of every opportunity, we will come out as champions for Christ.
The message for you today is simple: “What could you do with one more opportunity to share the love of Christ?”
1. Do you remember the last time God gave you an opportunity to share His love with someone? How did you respond?
2. What do you fear more: the idea of a loved one spending an eternity without God or the possible rejection and ridicule that could come from sharing your faith?
3. Pray that God would give you an opportunity to share your faith with someone and that He would give you the courage, strength and words to speak what needs to be said.
Matthew 5:11-12
Mark 8:38
Romans 1:16-17