Days of Opportunity

“Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” (Colossians 5:4)

These are days of opportunity for Christians and we need to be wise.

Share Our Faith 

It is a time of opportunity to share our faith. People are confused and frightened; they are facing the reality of suffering and death in ways we have really never experienced in western society for a very long time. So there is opportunity to bring words of comfort and peace, but particularly to bring words of gospel hope – not just saying to people, “We love you and care for you and we are there for you”, but actually telling them that there is hope beyond the suffering and beyond the grave.

There is a hope that makes sense of what we are going through and a deliverance from what we are facing. There is a resurrected Jesus Christ who is on the throne; he is in charge of everything and he can grant us eternal life. In so many ways, in a few words here and there and brief conversations – not just one great blast – there are ways that we can witness to the gospel of hope at this time.

However, we share our faith not just in talking about the gospel but also in demonstrating its truth as we live it out. We can ask people what their needs are during these uncertain days, find out about their concerns and fears, and seek to help them in whatever ways we can.

Test Our Faith

This is also such a great time to test our own faith. These are very challenging days in which some of the idols that perhaps we have been worshipping – those of being in control, of the comfort of economic prosperity and well-being, those of leisure and the family – are being torn down before our very eyes. We have always claimed that our only hope is in Christ, but maybe we are just beginning to wonder whether in fact our confidence was actually in other things. This crisis is shining a light on our hearts and driving us back to Christ as our only true foundation.

Grow In Our Faith

This is also a great opportunity for us to grow as Christians. The idols of our hearts are being revealed and as we see them for what they really are, and need to repent and make changes. We can grow as we make good use of this enforced time at home to study God’s Word, to pray together as families, and to recover some of those spiritual disciplines that maybe we have become careless about over recent years.

So, brothers and sisters, let us make the best possible use of this time. Let us take the opportunities we now have to share our faith, to test our faith and to grow in our faith.

Graham Nicholls is Director of Affinity