29. Opportunities

‘All about Identity’ Meditations No.29: Opportunities

Gal 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Jn 19:26,27 “he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” 

Recap: We’ve considered five aspects of identity – Being, Purpose, Value, Significance & Perception, – and several expressions of identity – as God’s children, in every area of life, and with other people. Now I want, in the final three studies of this month, to consider how we may MANAGE our identity to take hold of the days immediately ahead of us.

Good Friday: But today is Good Friday and in the midst of the terribleness of what was happening to Jesus, we see him demonstrating family care and, in a sense, changing his mother’s identity and that of the apostle John, a new caring and protective relationship being formed.

The day ahead: But the truth is that the way we see ourselves determines in a large measure how we live, and I want us to think of that in three different aspects of viewing daily life. In a previous series entitled ‘All Things New’, near the end I considered how we approached each new day, accepting that all we know, is that there will likely be new opportunities, new experiences, new encounters and it’s in respect of those three things that I now want us to reflect on identity. Some of these things we’ve touched on already, but they need emphasizing.

Opportunities: So first we’ll consider the OPPORTUNITIES that we face with each new day. An opportunity is a situation with a potential for good, which is what our starter verse speaks about. The Spirit gives you a nudge, “Ring J,” an opportunity to connect with and bless J. Perhaps again, He nudges you, “Invite K out for a coffee,” an invitation to relate to and bless K. Or L arrives at the front door. Not convenient? Maybe, but an opportunity to invite them in, get closer and bless them.

How we respond: Opportunities just arrive, or we can make them – but often it depends on what we feel about ourselves – my identity – how we respond to them, whether we step into them and capitalize on them, or back away and miss the chance to bless the other person.

But maybe it might be a case of blessing ourselves with a new experience or a new chance to learn, develop and change. In the past in church, we have asked people if they might be sensing the Lord prompting or encouraging them into new gifting, and so on one occasion small groups were set up to learn to move in prophecy, or to move in intercession, or to move in witnessing or evangelism. There may be many more things the Lord wants to open up to us.

Reticence, holding back: Now the person of low-self-esteem, of weak identity, feels threatened by such challenges, makes excuses, and backs away. The person with the stronger sense of self-identity is more open to the Spirit’s prompting and may step up to join one of the groups. Often people will make excuses and say, “Oh, but surely if God wants me to have that gift, He would just give it to me without any intervention,” but the truth is that we are a body with leaders who can envision and equip us, and that opens the door for faith to rise, and we can move into a learning context where we learn why and how. (How includes how to do it and also how not to do it, and safeguards we use.)      

Opportunity = Potential Possibilities: Opportunities are about potential and suggest that with Jesus, we may have the capability today of changing this world. It may only be in a small way, as we suggested previously, so it may simply be a smile, or the words ‘thank you so much’ or, ‘I’m really sorry’, or maybe, ‘I want you to know I really appreciate you.’

But here’s the thing, if we think little of ourselves, we’ll probably hedge away from this idea of taking or making opportunities to bring change to the world and to bless other people. We may have been so demeaned by the ways of this fallen world, that we think we haven’t anything to contribute to the lives of others, but even the simple little things above – the smile, the words of thanks or appreciation – are a start. We are not suggesting you create a world-changing mission (although that or something similar could be on God’s heart for you), just that you start simple. We’ll say what we said before, don’t despise the small things, step out in faith. You may never be the same again!

So what is it? Have you ever thought about what you would really like to do, perhaps that you have never had the courage to acknowledge?  The psalmist wrote, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psa 37:4). I believe when we delight in Him (one version says, ‘take pleasure in Him’), He first gives you – HE puts them in your heart – the desire, and then gives – HE brings it about – the desire as an experience. What have you secretly longed to do? Write a children’s book, learn cookery, travel abroad, learn a new language, work with the needy? Take the opportunity of today, find some space in it, and start off down your path of something new but old (old in that you’ve had it lurking in your heart for ages!). Today IS an opportunity. Take it.