|
By: Jim Josephsen
Two competing shoe companies were both looking to increase their market share. Both searched high and low across the world to find just one more area where they could sell their shoes. Then it was found, the outback of Australia. A community of one hundred thousand people, none ever seeing a pair of shoes or even knowing shoes existed. All having feet which had grown accustom to the pain and suffering of the rough terrain on which they constantly walk. Why wear shoes, since they knew no other way?
Upon learning of the new territory, both companies immediately sent a Sales representative. Each Sales Rep assessed the situation, talk to the locals, reviewed the information they obtained, analyzed all the details. Upon ascertaining all they could, each Sales Rep sent back to their respective headquarters their conclusion. Each saw the situation differently.
The first Sales Rep reported the following: Bad News! Situation bleak! Business not promising! These people do not wear shoes. I’m coming back home.
The second Sales Rep reported the following: Fantastic News! Opportunity Ahead! Business promising! These people do not wear shoes. Let’s get moving.
Opportunities in life, how do you see them? What is your perspective on the opportunities that come your way?
Consider the world in which we live, hopeless, self-servicing, struggling, aimlessly prodding along in a sensation-drive, pleasure for the moment mode. This is a world blinded to the knowledge of the truth and to the true and only God. Yet, what about you and I? We have been given the light of truth. We have a message of hope which we offer to this hopeless world. Even with all we have going for us, we live in a distressing world. As such, do we recoil and conclude the challenge is too great, how can we press ahead? Or do we realize there is a lot of work to do and the reward for a job completed is within reach.
Regardless of what happens around you, you have to react, to respond. You see the situation and you react. Every day you experience the opportunity to do something in response to the circumstance. That something can result in good and profitable fruit, of giving out to others, of showing care and concern. On the other hand that something you do can produce worthless fruit, which reflects selfishness and indifference, self-centeredness and apathy.
In this life, all sorts of evil, carnal behavior and dead works surround you. From the people with which you work, to friends and family, most are just like the dwellers of the outback - without shoes, without a conscience, without morals, without compassion and common sense and without hope, without God.
How do you perceive them? Hopeless, having no shoes, odd looking. On the other hand, do you see these misled people with no shoes as opportunities for us to reflect the love and mercy of our Father, and of Jesus Christ? Are these shoeless people you face every day people who need shoes, shoes that you can give them? We fully understand that no man can come to Jesus Christ unless the Father calls that person. Yet we are also aware of our calling and the Watchman work in which we are engaged. We are aware that the truth we teach and true gospel message we preach, the words we speak are spirit-led words which can be understood by the person God is calling. You have a part in this work. God’s words can flow through you, if you allow God’s spirit in you to strengthen you and direct you.
What a blessing, you, who have the gift of God’s Spirit dwelling in you, can provide. Do you see opportunity ahead in a work that will provide for a people who have no shoes? Consider - at one time you walked the earth with no shoes.
|
||||||||||||
|