Equipping Leaders To Multiply

God Vs. Opportunity

I woke up in the middle of the night with this question running through my head:  Am I seeking God or am I seeking opportunity?  Leaders are geared toward smelling out and tracking down opportunity.  Opportunity is a good thing.  It can expand our influence, raise our level of credibility, connect us with “the right people” and even have financial benefit.

But opportunity must also be handled with care.  Sometimes our ambition can taint our motives and instead of being leaders who are led by the Spirit we become leaders who lust for success.  To be honest that terrifies me.  So as I lay there in bed I put before God all the “opportunities” that were floating around in my head and asked, “Which do I love more God or Opportunity?”  Which gives me my greater sense of worth God or Opportunity?   Which do I seek more God or Opportunity?

In 1 Chronicles 28 David pulled all the leaders of Israel together and announced that God wanted his son Solomon to build a House for God.  What an Opportunity!  I love what David did next.   In front of all these leaders David spoke directly to Solomon and said, “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you.”

In a time when Solomon would face this huge Opportunity to earn credibility, gain fame, prove his leadership, earn the admiration of men, David warns him… Make sure you seek God not Opportunity.  Whatever you do, do it with whole hearted devotion and willing mind.  God knows our motives; they are fully exposed before Him.  Don’t let Opportunity become your god.

Question of the day:  Am I seeking God or Opportunity?


Reader Comments

  1. Great words to remember. It is so easy to focus on the success of a project instead of focusing on God. I pray that God is always my motive.

  2. Good stuff!
    I agree in principle-as leaders, and especially as men, the prospect of what we can gain when God calls us to lead or to do something for him can be intoxicating, and we must always check our motives and seek to purify them.
    At the same time, we can’t become paralyzed by fear that our motives may not be completely pure. Do fallen human beings EVER do something completely free of prideful idolatry?
    We’ve got to run down what he gives us, crucifying our pride at the onset, and at every “opportunity” along the way 😛

  3. This really hit me as well. I have been guilty of confusing loving God and serving him too often. I can not measure my Love for God by what I do for him. I LOVE taking the opportunities he sets before me…..I just have to make sure he created them and NOT me. I am going to pray on this as we move forward with a new opportunity.

  4. Man….great “yield” sign for today, as opportunity is surely out there right in front….and some of it presented by God. But do we keep hearts in check…in the midst of a leadership-knitted personality.
    Write the manual on how to do this, buddy! LOL (You know I like manuals)
    Love ya, Mac. This is a good check for me as we are set to move ahead on some new territory!

  5. I love watching what God is doing in you guys and through you guys…No doubt God will be giving you big opportunities because he knows you have a heart that will steward it well.

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