Okay now that we’ve looked at seeking opportunities, we should probably take few moments to look at what to do if you get one. There’s a passage in the Bible that handles just such an eventuality. It’s Ephesians 5:15,16 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Now in the broader sense, this passage deals with righteous living, but please notice it tells us to make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Talking about the evil days could be a whole book but for the sake of our discussion, let’s just day that the further the people slip from the Lord, the more glorifying Him is important, hence making the most of every opportunity to glorify Him we get.
So does this mean we have to say yes to every opportunity? No. We need to use discernment, but it probably means we should pray before saying no to anything (or for that matter, yes), at least anything good and righteous and godly. Sometimes as creative people we can pigeonhole ourselves when God wants to expand us, and, frankly sometimes we can get a little prideful and think we are too good do something “humble.” Neither of these is beneficial.
For this conversation, let’s assume that you get an opportunity and everything works and you believe you have God’s “green light.”. What does it mean to make the most of the opportunity?
First, it means bringing your best to the task. Do the best you can do. We should always serve as if we were serving God, because if you are serving, you are serving God, and the One who gave His only Son for you deserves your best.
Second, do what you’ve been asked to do. Make sure whatever you do fits the parameters of the assignment. I’ve seen creatives who think they know best, giving something different than what as asked for. That’s not what we need to do. We need to fulfill the assignment to the best of our abilities.
Third, be responsible. Some folks think being creative is an excuse to be less than dependable, or even weird, and much of society accepts it as part of the “artists’ temperament.” Frankly, that’s a crock. God is not honored by a lack of dependability and honoring God is our ultimate goal. Deliver your best, on time, with as little stress as possible.
Finally, come under authority. This is important everywhere but it’s essential if your venue is the church. When a pastor puts you before his or her congregation, they are giving you an endorsement and they are taking a risk. Do what they ask, and make them look good. They have put tremendous trust in you. They are giving you the opportunity to stand before people they have sworn before God to serve, care for and protect. That is huge responsibility and one no Christian should ever take lightly. Romans 13:7 says “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” A pastor putting you before his congregation is showing you an honor, be sure to return honor with honor.
Assignment: Look at any current opportunities that are before you and write down ways that you can make the most of them. Also look to see if there were times in the past where you did not handle opportunities well. How might you have handled them differently?
AMOKArts 