Reading Plan:
Acts 3

Our Thoughts:
Are you an opportunist?
This word usually carries a negative connotation and if you look it up, you'll discover this to be true. An opportunist is "a person who exploits circumstances to gain immediate advantage rather than being guided by consistent principles or plans."
I don't know about you, but that does not sound like a title I'd want to be labeled with. To be described as one who "exploits" or one who is not "guided by consistent principles or plans" - those descriptions are not good! Nevertheless, if I'm honest, I think I may have a little opportunist in me. I think we all might.
Have you ever bought something you didn't need simply because it was on sale? You exploited the circumstance and ended up bringing extra items home. Can you relate? See, we've all got a little opportunist in us, especially when it comes to shopping!
Opportunists are not known to be guided by a set of consistent principles or plans (noble vision or mission), but they are known for making the most of the opportunities presented to them. Guided by the vision "to be a church for the unchurched" and the mission "to lead others to know, love, and follow Jesus," what if we took on an opportunist mindset? What if we made the most of every opportunity given to us, not for our own gain, but for the glory of God and for the good of others?
Peter was the best kind of opportunist. He was filled with purpose, led by God-centered principles, and focused on a mission greater than himself. In Acts Chapter 3, we find one of the many circumstances Peter took full advantage of for the sake of the Gospel. The story opens with an opportunity. Peter and John are headed to the temple when a crippled man asks them for money. Peter at once sees an opportunity. He does not walk past the man, instead, he engages. Peter responds, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." He gives the man what he needs, not what he wants. I cannot imagine what this moment must have been like for the man who was healed. Having given up all hope of walking, he asked for only what he thought was possible - money. God knew what he really needed and provided through Peter, who made the most of the opportunity before him.
After the man was healed, another opportunity unfolded. Scripture says, "While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them..."
"...When Peter saw this..." Saw what? The crowd (another opportunity)! People who had seen the miracle were astonished. Peter, seizing an opportunity to gain "immediate advantage" for the sake of the Gospel, begins to share with the crowd the good news about Jesus. Later, in Chapter 4, verses 1-4, we catch a glimpse of the impact of his decision to make the most of the opportunities given to him that day, "...many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand." What an incredible lesson for us!
How do we prevent missing opportunities like this one? How can we, like Peter, make the most of the opportunities God gives us every single day?
We can embrace the incredible mission entrusted to us. Peter was serious about the mission given to him (Acts 1:8). It wasn't a box to be checked on a to-do list. It wasn't something he engaged in when there was nothing else to do. The mission informed his life. The call to be a witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus directed his time and his actions. This was the lens through which he saw the world - a world full of people in need of a Savior. When this is the lens, there is nothing but opportunity.
C.S. Lewis once said, "You have never talked to a mere mortal." Peter understood this. Everyone spends eternity somewhere. I forget this. I can go throughout my day focused only on my present circumstances. I walk past people as if they are "mere mortals," forgetting that eternity lies in the balance.
The mission we've been given is urgent. We must live on mission every day, seeking out opportunities to share the love and hope of Jesus with others. As you walk out of your house today, earnestly look for every opportunity offered to you to point someone to Jesus.

More Questions:
What prevents you from making the most of the opportunities God provides? Time, comfort zone, fear? How might you deal with those factors to make the most of the opportunities God brings your way?
God is already working in the lives of the people you live with, work with, attend school with, and spend time with. In which of these environments do you need eyes to see the opportunities before you?
Is there currently an opportunity you need to seize? Who has God put in your life to invest in, invite to church, or invite to attend house church? Is there someone you need to share the Gospel with today?

Prayer:
Father, help me to see the opportunities you give me. Give me eyes to see the people in my life through the lens of your vision and mission. Help me to always be prepared to make the most of the opportunities you give to share the hope that is within me. Give me courage like Peter to step into the opportunities you place in front of me every day.

Author: Gray Strickland