A Norvell Note
October 13, 2024, Vol. 28 No. 40
The Opportunity
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4:5)
As I watched reports of the storms that have devastated communities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, I thought about how important it is to make the most of our opportunities to be with people and express our love to them. Life changes quickly, and we never know what the day will bring, so we must stay in the present and live every moment to the fullest.
That thought consistently influences my thinking. But as I read the verse from Colossians, I realized that taking advantage of our opportunities has a more specific meaning. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders.”
Consider the wording from The Message. “Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.”[1]
Consider how you treat people outside your faith community, the people in your neighborhood, your workplace, and the places where you do business. What’s your conversation like with them, how do you speak to them, how do you treat them? What sort of attitude do you have with and toward them?
Make the most of those opportunities so they can see Jesus in you. Doing that brings glory to Him and may help them know the Lord. Life can change quickly. You have this moment. Make the most of it.
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2024 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved
[1] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Col 4:5–