Many times in our life we get a chance to do something for God. Most of the times we waste those opportunities thinking we will get it back again on some other time. Who knows? We may never get that same chance again. We have to be very careful in doing God’s work. Let’s see an example from Matthew 26:36-46 and Mark 14:32-42.
Jesus went to Gethsemane with all His disciples and took Peter, James and John little further to be with Him to pray (Mark 14:32 and 33). In Mark 14:34 Jesus says “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
Jesus gave Peter, James and John a chance to share His burden. Those three disciples got an opportunity to serve Jesus which other disciples didn’t get. To other disciples Jesus told to sit (Mark 14:32). But He gave those three, a chance to be with Him in prayer to share His sorrow which is so extreme to bear.
But what they did after getting that wonderful chance? Instead of keeping watch and praying they fell asleep. They were with Jesus but they failed to understand His sorrow. They thought they will get another chance. So they wasted the chance of sharing God’s sorrow. A golden chance has been wasted. The time that God has given to them to fulfil the chance comes to an end. In Matthew 26:45 Jesus came to those three and said “...Sleep on now and take your rest...” (Easy reading comfort-able KJV version).
Jesus knows that they had lost the wonderful chance and so only He said “...It is enough...” (Mark 14:41). They didn’t get any more chance like the one they got in that night. They never had any opportunity to share God’s extreme sorrow after that night because they wasted their chance.
Even to you my dear young people, God has given a chance. A chance to live holy life, a chance to lead others to Christ, a chance to do God’s ministry, a chance to share God’s burden through prayer. God has given a time period to fulfil that chance. Peter, James and John would have thought that they will sleep for an hour and after that they will pray.
This hour is God’s time to use the chance that God has given you, not the next hour. When the next hour comes the chance may have been taken out from your life.
So be careful to use the chance that God is giving you. Whatever God is asking you to do, do it with all your might. Don’t postpone God’s work. Don’t reject the chances that God is giving. More than God needs you, you need God a lot. So do whatever He asks you to do. Don’t be like those three disciples who wasted the God given chance. Ask God’s grace to fulfil His work that He has given you. Even this day, you may be feeling so bad about wasting so many chances that God has given you. Do not feel bad my dear friend, GOD’s GOLDEN HANDS OF GRACE is stretched forth towards you. Reconcile with Jesus so that He will give you His grace to you to fulfil the work that He has given you.
God bless you!!!
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