About the Most
When Scripture instructs us to be careful, it is something to pay close attention to; our Scripture tells us to be very careful. Extra care needed! Why? Likely because the subject of the scripture is something that Christians must deal with frequently, and it presents a significant risk to the believer’s life. Extra care is warranted with this particular instruction because it has to do with the core of a believer’s walk.
In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul calls our attention to “how you live.” Well, that is certainly something to be super conscious of - it has everything to do with our existence here on earth and even our approach to the eternally ever after. Paul admonishes the reader to live “wise,” not “unwise.” That’s a little vague, but brother Paul does elaborate for us. How does a wise person live? A wise person “makes the most of every opportunity.” Why should a believer live wisely, making the most of opportunities that present themselves? Because the days are evil.
From the verses that follow this passage, we understand Paul's reference to the evil days is connected to the “debauchery” found in the world. Instead of participating in this debauchery, the wise living follower of Christ will choose to be filled with God’s Spirit, ministering to others and giving thanks to God for “everything.” This definitely draws a stark contrast between living wisely and the evil of the days.
The contrast between being wise and the evil of the days is a good subject, but I want to focus our attention on the wise action of making the most of every opportunity. Let’s break down what this statement means, at least to the best of my ability:
The word “make” is an active verb. It is a verb implying creation. When we make, we cause to exist. We bring about. But what are we to bring about?
According to Paul, a wise follower of Christ will bring about “the most.” Hmm. The most means the greatest in amount, quantity, or degree. So in order to follow Paul’s very important instruction, we need to bring about the greatest degree. Of what? It seems that the “what” must be determined in the remainder of the instruction.
Within our focus, there remain only two words of Paul’s admonition. The first word remaining is “every,” and that word means... every - all, missing none.
The other word is opportunity. An opportunity is a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. An opportunity is an open door, a moment rich with potential.
Now, we could suppose that Paul was writing in hyperbole when he wrote “every opportunity.” How could a person, even Paul, think that we are to make the most of EVERY opportunity? Don’t know, but I think it's best to take Paul’s instruction at face value. God meant what Paul wrote, and we have to deal with it.
Why is this important for us today? Well, today is an opportunity. It is one of the “every opportunity” of which we are to make the most. Of course, in our lives, we have responsibilities, and God has not unburdened us of those responsibilities. How is a person to focus on making every opportunity the most it can be while taking care of everyday life? Could the opportunity presented be found in how you will face the responsibilities of your everyday life? Isn’t every responsibility potentially included in every opportunity? How will you allow the Spirit of God to use every responsibility to bring about the great potential for His Kingdom?
At this moment, you have an opportunity. Make no mistake, God intends you to have this moment. He planned it out an eternity ago. He knew when it would happen and how it would happen. He orchestrated it, and because of His providence, it has been accomplished. And now He presents your opportunity.
To make the most of this moment, you need to determine what the “most” is and whether or not you will go after it. My prayer is that you will make the most of the opportunity.