9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
God gives us strength - and that includes the strength to serve Him and to serve others. He empowers us by His Spirit to do the work of the ministry and to respond to the opportunities that He gives, the open doors that He reveals where we might find open hearts to receive Him. He desires for us to walk in selfless obedience to His ways and to be sensitive to how He might be calling us to be involved in what He is doing.
In Ephesians 5, we read these challenging words about seizing on God's open doors or opportunities that He brings our way:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
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In Ephesians 5, we read these challenging words about seizing on God's open doors or opportunities that He brings our way:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
In the New International Version, verse 16 says: "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
After having been placed under house arrest by the military in the African nation of Zimbabwe, its 93-year-old leader, Robert Mugabe announced his resignation as the nation's president yesterday. The BBC reported that the action brought "an end to 37 years of rule and sparking jubilant celebrations in the nation's streets." Ir reported:
After Mugabe was placed under house arrest, a group of eight religious leaders called for prayer, according to Christianity Today, and stated: "“We see the current situation not just as a crisis in which we are helpless,” adding, “We see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation.”
The story states:
The statement included a call to prayer, a call to peace, a call for the respect of human dignity, a call for a transitional government of national unity, and a call for national dialogue. These leaders say:
"God has put the church in the nation so that it can be a conduit for the healing of the nation." That was followed by a quotation of 2nd Chronicles 7:14.
The closing paragraphs are heavy on the theme of reconciliation. The statement says:
These leaders in Zimbabwe have described what was a potential transition, which has now been cemented by the resignation of Mugabe, as a "kairos" moment. Out of chaos and corruption, there is a real opportunity for change. We can ask ourselves, do we see the opportunities that God has given to us as individuals, families, and the Church? During the Christmas season, we can be challenged to recapture the love and hope of our Savior, who came to earth to bring transformation - of the heart. We can be a conduit for change, as the Holy Spirit helps us to identify the kairos moments He is bringing into our lives.
And, during this time of Thanksgiving, we can reflect on what God wants to do in our lives - perhaps there is a family relationship that needs to be repaired in the next few days, maybe there are people with whom you will interact who need to see the love of Christ and experience His compassion, and there is certainly the need for Biblically-informed dialogue into the issues that we face collectively as a nation. We can be thankful for how God has worked and for the opportunities He has brought and is bringing to us to see Him glorified.
After having been placed under house arrest by the military in the African nation of Zimbabwe, its 93-year-old leader, Robert Mugabe announced his resignation as the nation's president yesterday. The BBC reported that the action brought "an end to 37 years of rule and sparking jubilant celebrations in the nation's streets." Ir reported:
A letter from Mr Mugabe read out by the speaker of parliament said the decision was voluntary and he had made it to allow a smooth transfer of power.
The news abruptly halted an impeachment hearing that had begun against him.He was, at the time, the world's oldest leader. BBC states: "Robert Mugabe won elections during his 37 years in power, but over the past 15 years these were marred by violence against political opponents," adding, "He presided over a deepening economic crisis in Zimbabwe, where people are on average 15% poorer now than they were in 1980."
After Mugabe was placed under house arrest, a group of eight religious leaders called for prayer, according to Christianity Today, and stated: "“We see the current situation not just as a crisis in which we are helpless,” adding, “We see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation.”
The story states:
One of those calling for Mugabe to step down has been Evan Mawarire, an evangelical pastor who has been arrested twice for his viral online protest of Mugabe’s corruption.
This week, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe joined other church leaders in releasing a joint statement explaining how the current crisis is actually a kairos (opportunity).The statement includes these words:
Now we have reached a new chapter in the history of our nation. As we look at this situation as the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), we are reminded of the warning of Jesus in Luke 19:41-44. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem when he saw the catastrophe of its destruction and the massacre of the people that was imminent, “because they had not recognized their opportunity (KAIROS) when God offered it” (Luke 19:44).The leaders said: "this situation is not only the doing of the ruling party and government. It is also the result of the connivance of the different arms of the state and complicity of the church and civil society."
The statement included a call to prayer, a call to peace, a call for the respect of human dignity, a call for a transitional government of national unity, and a call for national dialogue. These leaders say:
"God has put the church in the nation so that it can be a conduit for the healing of the nation." That was followed by a quotation of 2nd Chronicles 7:14.
The closing paragraphs are heavy on the theme of reconciliation. The statement says:
We can either take the current situation as a mere crisis to be resolved by a winner-takes-all mentality or we use this as an opportunity for us to find one another to build something that is permanently healing for our nation. The first option spells disaster for us and future generations. The second option allows us to embrace our situation as a kairos, an opportunity given to us by God to dream together that another Zimbabwe is possible!It's interesting; you could actually extrapolate many of the words of the church leaders in Zimbabwe into the current situation in America. The Church, the body of Christ, has been placed in our nation as a conduit to healing and restoration. We are in a position where we need to pray and to live at peace; Americans are bitterly divided, it seems, in so many areas. We do not respect human dignity any longer, and we have quite a long way to go to recapture the word, "United." We may not be unified in ideology or theology, but we can find ways to work together to solve enormous national problems that we are facing.
These leaders in Zimbabwe have described what was a potential transition, which has now been cemented by the resignation of Mugabe, as a "kairos" moment. Out of chaos and corruption, there is a real opportunity for change. We can ask ourselves, do we see the opportunities that God has given to us as individuals, families, and the Church? During the Christmas season, we can be challenged to recapture the love and hope of our Savior, who came to earth to bring transformation - of the heart. We can be a conduit for change, as the Holy Spirit helps us to identify the kairos moments He is bringing into our lives.
And, during this time of Thanksgiving, we can reflect on what God wants to do in our lives - perhaps there is a family relationship that needs to be repaired in the next few days, maybe there are people with whom you will interact who need to see the love of Christ and experience His compassion, and there is certainly the need for Biblically-informed dialogue into the issues that we face collectively as a nation. We can be thankful for how God has worked and for the opportunities He has brought and is bringing to us to see Him glorified.
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