As We Have Opportunity
Denver Thomas
In Psalm 104:33 we read, “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” “[W]hile I have my being” is key. We can only do while life remains within us; therefore we need to be about our Father’s business. Paul wrote in Gal. 6:10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Webster defines opportunity as “fit time,” “a good chance,” “a favorable juncture of circumstances.”
Opportunity is a Bible word occurring some five times in the King James Version. It appears in two forms—sought (Mat. 26:16 & Lu. 22:6) and given (Gal. 6:10, Philip. 4:10, and Heb. 11:15). Webster defines good as “sufficient or satisfactory for its purpose, in excess; ample, full, considerable, proper, becoming, honorable,” etc.
We have numerous New Testament examples of “good”—being good (Mat. 5:45, 19:17, and John 10:11) and doing good (Mat. 5:16, 44-45, 12:35, John 13:15, Acts 2:44-45, 10:38, Rom. 15:2, 2 Cor. 9:8, Philip. 2:13, and 1 Peter 2:21). We, like the Psalm writer, should be eager to sing, praise, meditate, thank, obey, in essence to do God’s will in everything and at all times “while we have our being,” while we still have our faculties, and while we have time and opportunity. No doubt, we waste many of our opportunities, in whatever form they may occur. Many opportunities are put before us. However, and perhaps more importantly, we can also create and seek out opportunities to do good.
Take the Golden Rule, for example: Do Unto Others As You Would Have them Do Unto You, summarizing Matthew 7:12. The doing starts with me. I am the initiator. I must want to do good to all without expecting anything in return. Jesus is quoted as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Do we really believe that? Do we show it? Do we practice it? From personal experience, when doing for gain, ones attitude differs from doing freely with no strings attached. Conversely, I must also be careful not to do or say things that I admit I would not want to be done or said to me.
So many do not seem at all spiritually motivated—worldly things take their time and interest and, as such, cloud their minds to Heavenly things. Jesus said in Mat. 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Jesus also taught that we do according to what our heart dictates (Mat. 12:35-37). Peter said of Jesus “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38). Do we not think God will be with us when we do good? I believe He will also aid us in our efforts for good.
Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). It behooves each of us to be active in the Lord’s work. We sing, “There is much to do, there’s work on every hand.” Do we really believe it? Do we practice it? We are commanded to be good and to do good. Doing good best demonstrates our being good. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Mat 5:16). Can anyone deny that the good we do is the light people see? James wrote, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:7).
Seneca, a Roman philosopher of Jesus’ day, said, “While we are postponing, life speeds by.” John F. Kennedy, a recent president of the USA said, “We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” -PO Box 821, Milton, WV 25541-0821.
(Editor’s note: Brother Thomas is an active member of the Milton church of Christ, where he and his wife have been members about 20 years. He teaches the Wednesday Bible Class and takes his turn leading the singing.)