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Wisdom Toward Outsiders - Saturday, April 7th, 2007

“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”
Colossians 4:5-6

When the Lord is behind something, He arranges the schedule. He determines the timing. He sets-up the agenda. And that is exactly what happened yesterday. First things first, the security guard arrived. Then the rental company came and began setting up the stage. They began dropping the chairs in their locations. They put up the walls around the tent. They even began hanging the lighting. And as they were working on the electrical for the lighting, our generator company came…just in time. Therefore, they could test the lighting. They could test the EXIT signs. And then as the generator set-up was completed, the screen/projectors arrived. Now we could test everything. The Lord is good. (I was even able to go to the Rangers vs. Red Sox opening day game because everything was done!)

But what I noticed throughout the morning was, the Lord continued to bring people who were curious about what this tent revival entails. What will happen? When does it start? What is the purpose? Many questions are beginning to arise. The door is being opened for the message of Jesus Christ to be communicated. But we must be ready. We need to be prepared. What would you say if someone asked you about the 40-day tent revival? Or what if someone asked you about Jesus? Well, let me tell you, there is a good likelihood that you will be asked. Therefore, we need to make the most of each and every opportunity. If we want to make a difference in our community, let’s be willing to, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Conduct (our)selves with wisdom toward outsiders.” We need to be “making the most of the opportunity.” Yet, so many times we shrug off opportunities that are before us. A typical view is that people are an inconvenience. Our focus is on ourselves because we need to get the work done and move on. But this must change. We are to be wise in our actions towards others. Others must be our focus. Remember the commandment found in Matthew 22:39, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Please, let’s not overlook opportunities that are placed right in front of us. Because when we are willing to make the time for others, doors open. It might be a slow process, but at least we are making the most of what we have been given.

Aside from our actions, we also must be wise in what we say. Our words can have either a positive or negative impact on others. And if Christ “was full of grace and truth,” we too must be “gracious, pleasant, attractive, winsome, and courteous” in our speech. Paul wrote, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” This sounds easy, yet when we are confronted with something difficult or frustrating, I find myself wanting to be quick to speak. My speech isn’t always seasoned with salt. My conversations are sometimes “flat.” They are sometimes “dull.” They are sometimes “tasteless.” But Paul said this shouldn’t be the case. “Christians are to have an edge of liveliness, and to be marked by purity, wholesomeness, and hallowed spiciness.”

Therefore, as the opening day draws near (Monday, April 9th – 6:30 a.m. prayer / 7:00 p.m. evening worship) for the tent revival, let us make the most of our days. Regardless of the person or task we are confronted with, let’s approach each day as if it were our last. Let’s be wise in our actions. Let’s be gracious in our conversations. Why? Because we never know what kind of impact we will have for the sake of the kingdom of God…unless we try.
- klm
" We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again."

- G. Campbell Morgan


 
   
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