Recently I heard a businessman explain to me that his working time was worth “$100 per hour.” Because of that, he wanted to make sure that he was using his time in the most effective ways possible to better his business. In the realm of business, this is crucially important. But, in life, if we think our time is worth “x” amount of dollars per hour then we’re not spending it right! You see, God says you’re priceless. Any lot of time spent with Him has an infinite value that will never fade. This value is expressed in the form of opportunities and growth. (More on growth in my next post, for now, let’s look at opportunities).

First, we must know the call. Think about where you would be if God had not sent His Son to save you. He has saved us from eternal destruction. Along with receiving the gift of salvation, we are also given new purpose in life- to be “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20). God’s mission for us is clear; in fact, it’s commanded to us in Jesus’s valediction before He left the world as a man. He said to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28). We must obey this call, and we couldn’t have been placed in a better place to pursue it. In a Spiritual sense, we are on a battlefield full of lost and dying people run down and gasping for air. As Christians, we know that our message is their only hope–let’s give it to them! They’re looking for a cure that we have.

The opportunities are endless in this. Whether the world recognizes it or not, they are asking us to share the hope-giving message of the gospel with them. My mission in life is to share the life-giving message of the Gospel as well as equipping others to do the same. With that said, I have had many opportunities to share my faith as well as many missed opportunities. It is crucially important that we do not pass up an opportunity God gives us.

Last year, I was offered a job by an older gentleman who was looking for a kid to cut his lawn on a weekly basis. Happy for the work, I took the job. On two occasions, he had me come to his house to inspect the property and propose a deal. Both visits were good times and I was able to get to know him a little better. It didn’t take me long to discover that he was a very worldly man. In fact, he tried to get me to have a beer with him on both occasions. After multiple times of my turning down his firm offer he said, “You know, there’s something different about you. You have your head screwed on straight!” I took the odd compliment for what it was and we continued our conversation. As I was getting up to leave, again he said, “You’re a good kid, Caden. There’s something different about you.” I told him that the next time I come (which would be to cut his lawn in the spring) I would tell him what I think that difference is. I hoped to share the Gospel with him. He called me mid-March asking if I’d come by to make sure we were still good with our arrangement. At this point, there was still snow on the ground and it would be a while till the grass would be ready to cut. So, to save the trip, I affirmed him that I would come in the spring at first sight of growth. That’s what I did.

Sadly, I was too late to share the gospel with this outspoken, worldly man who wanted to know what had made me different. He passed away two weeks before I showed up. I share that story with you because there are opportunities everywhere we look. In the words of Paul we must make “the most of every opportunity because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16, NIV). We live in a searching world, and we do not know how much time we or someone else will have left to live on it. It is time that we accept the plans God has for us and be strong in our mission for Him. When life is lived for God there can be no price put on your time.

I understand that sharing the gospel can be tough, which is why I would like to equip you with some tools that will both give you more opportunities and prepare you for them. My favorite way of sharing the gospel is in a diagram called “the 3 circles”. Sharing in this way has been a lot of fun and has led to some incredible conversations that I’ve been blessed to have with people. While I believe this is a great method for sharing the gospel, the best tool is the one you are using! What’s important is that you are sharing the Truth. Remember to always personalize how you share the gospel. Share your story with it. When you share how God has affected your life, it creates a segway to sharing His Story. If you believe in the mission of making disciples as Jesus commands us, I would highly encourage you to check out this tool called the 411 of Discipleship.

L.I.F.E. – – – Live Intently For Eternity

Life is not about living for ourselves, it is about living, earnestly, in light of what He did for us.