Every Opportunity
gtcotr/ss080606
Key Scriptures: Colossians 4 (NLT)
5 ¶ Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity.
6 Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.
It’s hard to be kind and care about others when you don’t feel kind and caring yourself.
Our society has as a whole has an evident problem.
More and more I see people, both among my fellow Christian Believers and non-believers, getting easily frustrated, irritated, aggravated and becoming angry.
Anger has the capacity to take control of a quick tempered person and rob them of the ability to think and act rationally.
Anger turns the tables on a person and can make a monster out of them. They loose the ability to act and become reactionary to whatever or whomever is stimulating their anger.
Anger makes the moment all about them or all about some point or issue that temporarily dominates life.
Weekly I deal with people who are losing control and are tearing up things, damaging their stuff and/or destroying relationships, all because they get mad and anger takes over.
If this is not a picture of you and your life then you most likely know someone close to you who is like this: quick tempered, short fused, angry in a moment’s notice and capable of verbally or physically losing it.
Lord help us if these people get their button pushed by someone else who has this same problem.
More and more I see anger building in our society.
Often I find myself on a mission with a message. Today I feel purpose in what I am saying. Perhaps today’s message is about you. God may be concerned about you and speaking to you today in hopes to get you off the road that leads to destruction.
Are there some things worth being angry over? Yes, sure there are. But most of the things which produce anger in people’s lives today do not rise to that level of worthiness.
And besides this, we don’t do our best work when we are angry. Not our best thinking, rationalizing, decision making or debating. Anger has a life of its own that often places us in the losers’ circle.
The bible says that we should not allow anger to move us to sin. And that we should never allow the sun to go down on our anger. Anger should not have long term place in our lives. It eats at us and will drive us to destroy ourselves and others.
Tell me:
What are you so angry about?
Have you considered doing something about it before it’s too late?
We believe in Jesus as Messiah and have been born again. We are supposed to be a witness to others of the wonderful grace and goodness of our God and a testimony to His life changing power and presence. Our Prince is the Prince of Peace.
In the book of Acts, chapter 16, Paul and Silas found themselves in Macedonia in Jail. They were in trouble just like all of the other prisoners, only they did not act like all of the other prisoners.
These two believers, facing their midnight hour, the dark hour of their soul, instead of complaining and fussing and declaring the injustice of their situation, rather prayed and sang praises to God. They acted different because of the Holy Spirit in them.
Acts 16 NKJV
25 ¶ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
The prisoners are always listening. Hoping that someone will be the witness they need to show them the way. Desperately hoping to see a witness to the saving grace of God. Wanting to see a changed life.
A vital part of living a successful and productive life is learning to deal with disappointments. Paul and Silas had been beaten and put into jail. But they were not angry, bitter, frustrated, irritated or mad.
Even when we cannot get victory over a situation, we can still gain victory in the situation.
Today I want to encourage you to sit back, take a deep breath, open your mind for just a moment, and ask yourself some direct questions.
Question:
1. What are you so angry about?
* Do you feel cheated; done wrong; unheard or unappreciated?
* Did someone hurt you; leave you; abuse your kindness or destroy your trust?
* Have you been abandoned; forgotten; unfairly judged or condemned?
* Were you raised wrong; left to yourself; not protected or cared for by your parents?
* Did you fail; destroy your dream; discredit yourself or lose someone’s trust?
What are you so angry about?
Question:
2. Do you want to make it better or worse?
* No matter how bad it is right now, believe me, you can make it worse.
* Some people have a ‘If I can’t fix it then I will tear it up’ mentality.
* We cannot justify ordaining ourselves as judge, jury and executioner.
* We cannot even justify ordaining ourselves as eternal witnesses against others … the ‘Go To Hell!’ mentality.
* What makes us believers different than those who are in and of this world is that we have been given an opportunity to embrace God’s ability and love our enemies, forgive their trespasses and do good to those who persecute and despitefully use us.
Question:
3. Are you willing to change?
* Let God know. He will work on you, in you and through you. Ask Him for help and work with Him.
You see, it’s hard to be a witness of the wonderfulness and life changing power that comes with being a believer when we aren’t living it ourselves.
Far before you say anything, people around you know how you are. They know if you are kind and caring or if you are frustrated and quick tempered, self serving and reactionary just like they are.
The scriptures tell us to always be ready to give an account of that good work that is within us when we are asked to do so by others.
How long has it been since someone you don’t know asked you why you are so filled with the evidence of:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Gentleness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Humility
Self Control
Acts 1:8 says that the Holy Spirit will give you the ability to be the kind of witness God hopes you will be.
How are we believers so different from others? We are at peace with our God, our life and our future. We are only at war with satan.
Lets read a passage from Colossians as we close this morning.
Colossians 3 NLT
18 ¶ You wives must submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.
19 And you husbands must love your wives and never treat them harshly.
20 You children must always obey your parents, for this is what pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, don’t aggravate your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.
22 You slaves (employees) must obey your earthly masters (employers) in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Obey them willingly because of your reverent fear of the Lord.
23 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
