365 Opportunities
I was trolling Facebook when I came across a simple white graphic with 4 words that captured my immediate attention:
1 Year. 365 Opportunities
I smiled and sat up just a little bit taller. My perspective shifted, and I felt like a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders and flung into the pit of despair where it had originated.
You see, I’d canvased the year ahead, but all I’d noticed was urgent demands and unsolvable problems.
4 simple words flipped my mental switch.
Each day is a gift. Each day holds promise. Each day provides a new platform for God to show up in spectacular fashion.
Tomorrow, the sun will kiss my face with God’s favor. The warmth of His love will envelop me in a blanket of grace.
Every day is a fresh page for God and I to write something beautiful.
5 Opportunities to Pursue in the New Year:
- Live with Contentment: We can choose to rise above doubt and discouragement and reach forward in God’s strength.
- “ I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my trouble” (Philippians 4:10-14, NIV).
- Love our neighbor: We can say no to selfish living and serve each other with love.
- “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:13-14, NET).
- Encourage the weary: We can swim against the current of mediocrity and support like-minded friends who rise above the tide.
- “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10, NIV).
- Seek His Face: We can press in close to Christ and confess that we desperately need Him.
- “Then I confessed my sin; I no longer covered up my wrongdoing. I said, ‘I will confess my rebellious acts to the Lord.’ And then you forgave my sins. Selah. For this reason every one of your faithful followers should pray to you while there is a window of opportunity. Certainly when the surging water rises, it will not reach them. You are my hiding place; You protect me from distress. You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:5-7 NET)
- Share God’s message: We can speak the truth in love and pray for hard hearts to receive salvation.
- “Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.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” (Colossians 4:2-6, MSG).
In Ephesians 5, Paul tells us to “make the most of every opportunity” in the last days. I love how the JB Phillips translation communicates the urgency of this challenge: “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days. Don’t be vague but firmly grasp what you know to be the will of God.”
I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, but I know who holds the future. I know the Author and Finisher of my Faith has promised to finish the work that He has started in me. I can press forward into the new year seizing every moment for His glory because God’s plot lines always wrap up with spectacular endings. I am only looking at one page of my story right now, but the next page just might be my turning point.
Tomorrow holds 86,400 seconds. You might just blink and see God transform your obstacles into opportunities.
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Want to make the most of every opportunity in the new year? I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you to get your started. Join the Wildfire Faith Community and grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to rock your world. Let’s #PrayBig and stand on God’s promises!
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This….SO GOOD! So good. Thank you for sharing!
LOVE THIS. This quote is THE perfect wake-up call.
Your interpretation gives me a gentle kick in the pants is to take an action (no matter how small) toward our goal every single day. Then, as we reach the end of that year, we can proudly look back at all we have accomplished.
Whether it’s building a business or reconnecting with old friends, we won’t be able to sit around thinking “what if this…” or “if I had only…” We can be confident in the fact that we made each day meaningful in some way.
I mean, not only are we tons closer to reaching the goal, but our momentum would feel practically unstoppable!
I love how the right quotes and/or passages can take my motivation from 0 to 60 in a heartbeat. Baaaah!
I will absolutely be writing those 4 words down on a post-it and sticking it to my bathroom mirror.?
Thank you so very much for sharing this divine post. AND thank you for putting this party together for all of us each week. I truly appreciate it.
God bless you, lovely lady!
P.S. I just looked back at how much I wrote and I’d say that’s enough jibber jabber to last a lifetime. I’m really sorry for such a ridiculously long comment. Ugh. ?
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Lyli, I love the encouragement I find here each Thursday. I love each one of your statements of opportunity, especially rising about doubt and discouragement. Needing this today!
Lyli, I love this list. I have contentment on the mind, and I wrote about it in my linked up post. Blessings to you in 2017!
Such great words of encouragement as I round the corner on this week. I was struck by the truth that so much of what God wants us to do is just plain common sense and good manners — and we make life so complicated.
Lyli, I love all that you have shared here. It has been a long time since I have used the Phillips translation and I loved the reminder, “Make the best use of your time…” . We all use our time but are we making the best use of our time? That is the question your post has asked me this morning. And yes, you stepped on my toes a bit this morning … in the best and most gentlest of ways of course! xo
Your “opportunities ” are spot on! Love the purpose you remind us of each and every day:)
What a great, positive perspective! And if we keep those opportunities before us, that will take care of so many other things as well.
What a post of hope and inspiration Lyli. There are opportunities around every corner and we must seek out ways to serve our Savior. I am excited to see how God will use me for His glory this year and beyond. I am thankful that His strength is always there for us especially when we seek Him. Thank you for sharing these wonderful insights. May God bless you and yours in the New Year .
Sweet words of encouragement, my friend. I sat up a bit taller, too. xo
I am coming to appreciate the word opportunities more and more. The open door it provides for us to step into more of God’s goodness, to hear the echo of His affirmation, is exciting. The beginning of the year is certainly one of those times where it seems we are more alert to the possibility of opportunities. Your words are reminding me to pray for awareness of opportunities in every moment.
Blessings Lyli!
Dawn
I may not be able to do that with every opportunity – but I pray that I make the most more often with the opportunities God gives me! Thank you, Lyli for this new year encouragement! Shalom ~ Maryleigh
This is so full of encouragement and inspiration, Lyli. Thanks for once again sharing your heart and opening mine. Love you!
Yes, every encounter is an opportunity indeed, to have our reflection mirror Christ’s. Even though we are flawed we are made as new creations in Him and called to share that. Praying I can pull that off to His approval in 2017. Thanks for hosting!
365 opportunities.
I like it!
Oh, and He may give us multiple opportunities in one day!
May the Lord help us to be ready and abiding in Him so we will be able to move in His way as He guides us along.
A good way to look at it. Hello, 2017!
Really really love this post Lyli and have copied into my journal.
May God bless you each and every day in every endeavor.
I know He loves your beautiful heart.
Yes! We can do all these things. Encouraging post, Lyli!
Thanks, Lyli 🙂 For the reminder. Blessings to you, my friend, as you encourage so many!
Lyli – I have missed reading your post and linkup over the last 2 months while I was focusing on the other demands of life. Thank you for this post. I love it, this is my favorite line …. Each day is a gift. Each day holds promise. Each day provides a new platform for God to show up in spectacular fashion… This month we are fasting as a church and so my focus this month is Seeking His Face, which goes with my focus for the year! thanks for always having such good content!
I like that graphic as well ~ and how you came up with five areas for us to focus on for spiritual growth! This reminds me to have an eternal focus every day, and do what I can to bring glory to God and share His blessings with others.