CHRISTIAN YOUTH:Seize your opportunity in its lifetime

03 Apr, 2016 - 00:04 0 Views
CHRISTIAN YOUTH:Seize your opportunity in its lifetime Sunday Mail

The Sunday Mail

BLESSED regards to you today. We are already in the fourth month of the year and for some so far things are going according to plan. Remain focused and you will have a story to tell.
In Genesis 27 there is a story that relates to two young men who had an opportunity before them. One lost out and the other benefitted. Naturally the one who lost was heartbroken and felt his life was about to end. Jacob and Esau were actually twins. This is what the Bible says of Esau in Genesis 27:8, “And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.”
We will not dwell much on the background to this story but you can easily see that Esau is a man in deep pain. The brief summary is that Esau missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Sometimes life only gives you one such chance and when you miss it you know you have messed up big time. Many times in life we are not aware of the many blessings and opportunities that are available to us before they are gone particularly when you are young. We take for granted so many things until sometime it is too late.
Let me give you a few examples.
Many of us grew up being told that school days are the best days of our life but we did not believe it. Only when you grow older and the responsibilities of life begin to weigh you down do you begin to reminisce about the “good old days” when you were care-free and someone else had to worry about your day-to-day needs.
We take for granted the time we have on our hands and the energy and drive that we possess at certain points in our lives and make the mistake of thinking that it will always be that way.
One of the saddest opportunities that many young people are abusing is the opportunity of maintaining their purity before marriage. Many realise that it was not worth it when life begins to unfold. Another great opportunity that many miss is the opportunity to serve God with their gift, be it time, money, talent, idea or any area of expertise. Sometimes we have these opportunities taken from us without our consent. A guardian or parent can pass away, someone can cheat you in a business deal, one can be taken for a ride when you have given your everything into a business, a relationship or a career. What is important with regards to opportunities is first recognising it and second knowing what to do in order to get the best out of that opportunity. One man of God put it this way; an opportunity of a lifetime must be maximised in the lifetime of the opportunity. Esau was a victim of this circumstance, even though he went later to try and get something but to no avail. The question is how does one respond when they have missed their opportunity?
In Genesis 27:41 Esau planned to slay his brother out of anger but later manages to deal with it in chapter 33. You can feel justified to be angry or to be in despair. Some contemplate suicide; others give up on life or betray their principle because of disappointment. Today take stock of your life. You have the opportunity to progress in life, to do something different. Maximise it.
Til next week, God bless.
Tinashe Zinyemba is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Feedback: [email protected]

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