A treat my family enjoys on special occasions is sparkling cider. At Thanksgiving we shared a few bottles during our large family dinner. As usual we drank them fairly quickly, but everyone got at least one glassful. When we passed a bottle for a second serving, people reacted in two ways. They were either glad there was still a little left in the bottle or slightly dismayed that there was only a little left. If you joined us for dinner how would you respond? Or another way to think about it is the analogy of a glass holding liquid up to the halfway mark. How do you typically view that glass: as half-full or half-empty? Neither viewpoint is wrong, just different. This distinction in perspective applies to others areas of life also, like circumstances and relationships. Do you view them as opportunities or obligations? I challenge you to give yourself a chance to joyfully experience life as liberating opportunities God has for you, instead of as restrictive obligations God requires of you. If you do, you’ll grow more, impact others better, and have greater fun along the way.
Even though at times you are faced with things you don’t want to do or people you don’t want to be around, try to reframe your perspective. Think of a given situation as a “get to” instead of a “have to.” Let the Holy Spirit open your eyes, renew your attitude, and empower your ability to see, think, and act as Jesus would. Don’t be driven by your feelings which wax and wane. Focus on the opportunity at hand and hopefully your feelings will subsequently align. Love looks for opportunity to make things better for others. Duty just carries out obligations.
If you miss viewing life as a series of opportunities, you also miss the training and transformation God is working to bring about in you. Here are seven brief examples to learn from:
Cain and Abel: These two brothers, who were part of the first family on earth, each thanked God for his provision. Abel gladly gave his best sheep as an offering out of love for God. Cain begrudgingly offered some fruit from his working of the ground. Knowing each of their heart attitudes, God accepted Abel's gift, but not Cain's. God lovingly confronted Cain and gave him a second chance to be grateful. Sadly, instead of changing his perspective and seeing the crop offering as an opportunity to thank God and draw close to him, Cain continued to be angry at God over what he saw as an obligation. Furthermore, he tragically took that anger out on his brother by killing him (Genesis 4:1-8).
David and Israeli soldiers: When the mighty Goliath and the Philistine army mocked God and threatened to defeat Israel, the Israeli soldiers and even king Saul felt obligated to show up on the battlefield, but no one viewed the conflict as an opportunity. For forty days the soldiers cowered in fear. However when David, a shepherd boy, visited his brothers on the front line and heard the blasphemy of Goliath the giant, he saw it as an opportunity to show the power and deliverance of God (1 Samuel 17:1-58).
The nation of Israel: Years later when David become the king of Israel he desired to honor God by building a temple. He could have taxed the people or demanded them to give to the cause, but he didn't. The people freely gave on their own with generous offerings of precious metals and stones. They didn't view building the temple as an obligation, but rather as an opportunity to love and worship God (1 Chronicles 29:9-22).
Naomi and Ruth: After Naomi's husband and only two sons died in Midian, she returned to her homeland in Israel and told everyone to call her Mara which means "bitter." She looked upon her life as empty with just an obligation to survive. In contrast, Ruth, who was married to one of Naomi's sons who died, had a different outlook. Both were grieving the loss of loved ones, but Ruth viewed her calamity as an opportunity to come to know God better and to care for her mother-in-law. (Ruth 1:1-22).
Jonah: God told Jonah, his prophet, to go to evil Ninevah and pronounce his judgment upon them. Jonah first tried to resist and run, but eventually he obeyed God. However, even in his obedience he missed what God had for him and the people of Ninevah. He viewed God's command as an obligation, but not an opportunity. Therefore he was angry when God showed mercy to Ninevah whose people cried in remorse and repented of their evil ways. Instead of just carrying out an obligation, Jonah could have viewed his mission as an opportunity to help people turn to God and to share in God's joy and theirs when they did (Jonah 1-4).
Peter and other apostles: The apostles were imprisoned, questioned, beaten, and ordered not to teach in Jesus' name by the Jewish ruling council. However, they did not view the Sanhedrin's command as an obligation. Instead they viewed their situation as an opportunity God had given them to help save people. They resolved to share the love and truth of Jesus with others despite the potential punishment from wicked leaders. Even though they were threatened and flogged, afterward they left rejoicing for being counted worthy of suffering disgrace for Jesus (Acts 5:12-42).
Jesus, God the Son: Although it involved becoming a man, being humiliated, mocked, hated, rejected, betrayed, beaten, crucified, and forsaken, Jesus paid the ultimate price of becoming sin for you, so you can be saved and receive everlasting life with God. He didn't view this as an obligation. On the contrary, out of love for God the Father and for everyone in the world, Jesus readily accepted this as an opportunity and completed this harrowing yet magnificent mission with joy (1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:3-5; Hebrews 12:1-2).
As we have seen in these examples and as I’m sure you have experienced yourself, life is made of relationships, choices, and moments. Each day approach them as opportunities to live, to laugh, to love, and to learn as you trust and obey Jesus. That’s the stance the apostle Paul took, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). By God’s grace, adopt this positive perspective and you will gain more out of life’s experiences and develop into a better person who is closer to God and more useful to others.