Seeing and Seizing Opportunities: Living Out the Gospel

In our journey of faith, we often encounter moments that have the potential to profoundly impact both our lives and the lives of those around us. These divine appointments are God-given opportunities to share His love and message. But how often do we recognize these moments? And more importantly, do we have the courage to seize them?

The book of Acts provides a powerful example of what happens when God’s people not only see but act upon the opportunities presented to them. Ordinary individuals, filled with the Holy Spirit, accomplished extraordinary things. Their story challenges us to ask ourselves:

At the core of this challenge is intentionality. Living a life led by the Holy Spirit requires us to deliberately focus and surrender our will to God daily. It’s like sailing a boat – if we don’t intentionally position ourselves to catch the wind of the Spirit, we will remain stagnant in our spiritual journey.

A Simple Daily Practice:

• Untie the sails through repentance, acknowledging our need for God’s forgiveness and guidance.
• Raise the sails by surrendering our day to God, committing to listen and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Though simple in concept, this requires discipline. Life’s distractions can easily consume our thoughts, but when we cultivate this practice, we become more attuned to God’s voice and more ready to act when opportunities arise.

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a lame man at the temple gate. They could have walked past, focused on their own agenda. Instead, they saw an opportunity—not just to offer temporary relief but to demonstrate the power of Jesus’ name.

This moment of obedience led to a miraculous healing and opened the door for Peter to preach the gospel to an amazed crowd.

Peter’s message in Acts 3 provides a clear guide on how we can effectively share the gospel today:

• Point people to Jesus, not ourselves. Our influence should direct others to Christ, not elevate our own status.
• Clarify who Jesus is. In a world of diverse beliefs, we must clearly communicate that Jesus is the Son of God, who lived a sinless life and died for our sins.
• Emphasize that faith in Jesus brings real change. Transformation comes from trusting Him, not from personal effort or rule-following.
• Extend grace to the ignorant. Many reject Christ unknowingly because they’ve misunderstood the true message of the gospel.
• Highlight that repentance leads to refreshing. Turning to God brings renewal and restoration.
• Show Jesus as the fulfillment of scripture. The promises of God find their “yes” in Jesus.
• Present both the blessings and consequences. While we should emphasize God’s love, we must also be honest about the reality of separation from God.

Applying these principles requires us to be natural, humble, and genuine in our interactions. It means being ready to share our own stories of how Jesus has changed us. It also involves engaging others in meaningful conversations about faith.

✅ Pray for opportunities to share your faith, and be alert to recognize them when they come. ✅ Learn to articulate the gospel clearly and concisely. Practice sharing your own story of faith.✅ Cultivate genuine relationships with non-believers, showing Christ’s love through actions as well as words.✅ Be honest about the challenges of following Christ, but also share the joy and peace it brings. ✅ Regularly reflect on how God is working in your life so you can share fresh testimonies of His goodness.✅ Study the scriptures to deepen your understanding of who Jesus is and what He’s done. ✅ Pray for specific individuals in your life who don’t know Christ, asking God for wisdom in how to reach them.

Our role isn’t to win arguments or meet conversion quotas. It’s to plant seeds and trust God to bring the growth. Every conversation, act of kindness, and prayer is an opportunity to reflect Christ’s love.

When we step out in faith, we may be surprised at the doors God opens. Like the early church, we might find favor with unexpected people, witness miracles in everyday situations, and see lives transformed by the power of the gospel.

Opportunities to share the love of Christ surround us every day. The question is:
? Will we see the opportunities God places before us? ? And when we see them, will we have the courage to seize them?

May we be a people who, filled with the Holy Spirit, do exactly what Jesus has called us to do—to be His witnesses, sharing His love and truth with a world in desperate need of hope.