Based on the sermon:

Making the Most of Every Opportunity: What Are You Doing With What You’ve Been Given?

Life is a collection of God-given moments—opportunities presented to us by the Lord, chances to step up and make a difference. Some we seize with both hands, while others slip quietly away, leaving us wondering “what if?” The question that haunts many of us isn’t whether God will give us opportunities, but whether we’ll recognize them when He does, and more importantly, what we’ll do with them.

When God Presents an Opportunity

Sometimes the most life-changing opportunities arrive when we least expect them. They often come disguised as an inconvenience, requiring us to step outside our comfort zone or abandon our carefully laid plans. The key is learning to recognize these moments for what they are—not interruptions to our lives, but potential catalysts for our greatest growth.

Consider how often we say “no” to opportunities simply because the timing doesn’t feel right. We tell ourselves we’re not ready, that we need more experience, more education, or more resources. But what if readiness isn’t a prerequisite for opportunity? What if the very act of stepping through an open door in faith is what prepares us for what lies ahead?

The Parable of Potential

The Biblical parable of the talents offers profound insight into how we should approach the gifts and opportunities we’ve been given. In this story, a master entrusts his wealth to three servants before departing on a journey. To one he gives five talents, to another two, and to the third, one talent—each according to the master’s discernment.

The fascinating part isn’t the distribution itself, but what each servant does with their portion. The first two immediately put their talents to work, trading and investing until they doubled their master’s money. The third, however, buried his talent in the ground, preserving it but producing nothing.

This parable reveals three crucial truths about opportunity and stewardship:

Everyone Has Something

First, everyone receives something of value. In the parable, even the servant who received the least still had one talent, equivalent to about twenty years’ wages for a common worker. That’s not pocket change; it’s a substantial sum that could produce significant results if properly invested.

The same is true in our lives. We all have unique gifts, talents, experiences, and opportunities. Some people seem to have more obvious advantages—better education, more connections, or greater natural abilities. But comparison is the thief of contentment and the enemy of action. The question isn’t whether you have as much as someone else, but what you’re doing with what you have.

Consider Fanny Crosby, the great hymn writer who lost her ability to see as a child due to a doctor’s mistake. Rather than allowing this setback to define her limitations, she discovered that her other senses were heightened, and she went on to write over 8,000 hymns. She understood that everyone has something valuable to offer, even when circumstances seem to suggest otherwise.

Use It or Lose It

Second, we’re expected to actively use what we’ve been given. The master in the parable didn’t entrust his wealth to his servants so they could admire it or keep it safe. He expected them to “do business” with it—to invest, trade, and multiply what he had given them.

This principle applies to every area of our lives. The skills we don’t use atrophy. The opportunities we don’t pursue disappear. The relationships we don’t nurture fade away. God expects us to be active stewards of everything He has entrusted to us—our time, our talents, our resources, and our relationships.

Too often, we bury our talents in the ground out of fear, comparison, or a false sense of humility. We tell ourselves we’re not good enough, that others are more qualified, or that our contribution won’t matter. But burying our gifts serves no one and produces nothing of value.

Accountability Is Coming

Third, there will be a day of reckoning. The master in the parable eventually returns to settle accounts with his servants. Those who had been faithful with what they were given received commendation and promotion. The one who buried his talent faced exposure and consequences.

This isn’t meant to create fear, but to inspire faithful action. Knowing that we’ll one day account for how we’ve used our opportunities should motivate us to make the most of them. The faithful servants couldn’t wait to show their master what they had accomplished with his resources. They were excited to demonstrate their stewardship.

The Time Is Now

As the saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines.” There’s work to be done, and we must do it while we have the daylight. Night is coming when no one can work, but today is full of possibility.

What opportunities are sitting in front of you right now? What talents have you been given that you’re not fully utilizing? What doors has God opened that you’ve been afraid to walk through?

The question isn’t whether you’re ready or whether you have enough. The question is: what are you doing with what you’ve been given? Your talents, your opportunities, your very life—they’re all gifts entrusted to your care. The Master is watching, waiting to see what you’ll do with them.

Don’t bury your gifts in the ground. The world needs what you have to offer, and time is the one resource we can never recover once it’s gone. Make the most of every opportunity given, because life is made up of moments when we choose to step up or step back.

What will you choose?