By Joe Slater Via Bulletin Gold
Does God give you chances, or does He provide
opportunities? We sometimes treat those words as
synonyms, but their meanings are quite different! Chance
indicates something random, uncertain, even accidental -a
roll of the dice, as it were. You have no way to influence the
outcome. Opportunity, by contrast, implies that you play
a role in choosing a course of action. You may choose
wisely or foolishly, but it remains your choice. It is neither
random nor accidental.
Some things do, indeed, happen by chance. Solomon
wrote by inspiration, “Time and chance happen to them all”
(Ecclesiastes 9:11). Sometimes our plans don’t work out no
matter what we do. We didn’t plan to become ill or be laid
off from work, but it happened. Such is life.
But not everything is subject to chance. God can and does
provide opportunities. Paul urged the Galatians to do good
to all” as they had opportunity (Galatians 6:10). He
understood when material support from the church at
Philippi was delayed: “You surely did care, but you lacked
opportunity” (Philippians 4:10).
Our salvation depends not on chance, but on how we use
the opportunity God has provided in Christ. Acts 14:27
refers to it as God opening “the door of faith.” As one
chooses whether to walk through an open door, so we
choose whether to trust Jesus and obey His gospel. This is
neither random nor accidental.
Your eternal destiny depends not on chance, but on what
you choose to do with the opportunities God has given to
you.