DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: MAY 5 WASTED OPPORTUNITY (1) SCRIPTURE: PSALMS 49: 20; ACTS 1: 20 – 26

There used to be popular saying among Nigerians, mid 1960s that “opportunity comes but once.” This could be reason those who fought our Independence fought with their life, brain, natural and economic resources for us to become independent nation. They saw getting us Independence as an opportunity for them. In the Bible, there is also a saying that “He who is honoured and does not know he is honoured is like a beast in the bush (Psa. 49: 20). These two references here seem to be conveying same knowledge. If you are given a place of honour and do not see yourself an honourable, you are like the beast that perish. This means the person is like one who has passed from existence. And if you are given opportunity and missed it later by your personal making, you leave to regret it for life. We are about looking into a silent destiny killer of human beings many hardly take it serious. It is about wasted opportunity in life.

In the series of this devotional, an attempt will be made to touch many ways people have wasted their opportunities in life. The series will cut across Christian opportunity, marriage, business, political appointments, natural and economic blessings etc. Today’s devotional is using one Mathias in the Bible as opening case study. In the Bible story in Acts 1: 20 – 26 is found how Mathias was selected by prayer and casting of lot to replace Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and later committed suicide. Mathias’ replacing Judas made him assume a new name of Apostle which was then a great opportunity. He met all the qualifications to be absolved into the prestigious class of Jesus’ Apostle. He was qualified to take over the office of the Treasurer which Judas Iscariot was holding. After been prayed for, had hands laid upon and anointed as Apostle, Mathias ought to have received the Apostolic Grace like other Apostles. The funny thing here is that soon after his appointment, nothing was written in the Bible about Mathias again. No work of miracle, no reference to any Epistle written. This is a clear case of a wasted opportunity.

What do we make of this? Fact will not be far from Mathias’ seeing self a mere title holder rather than a functionary leader. Stephen who was selected Head of the Deacons after Mathias was such a fire-brand preacher, whose message pierced the hearts of the religious and political leaders that he was stoned to death as recorded in Acts 7: 54 – 59. Church history has it that Mathias took the gospel to Judea and Colchis, where he was crucified. Even at that, he passed for “a wasted opportunist.” He wrote no Epistle in the New Testament. We still have many in the Christendom like Mathias wasted their titles and positions. Leadership position is not for personal aggrandizements but for functionary services which change people’s lives positively. Anything short of this is a wasted opportunity. Both Christians, other Religious Bodies, politicians and traditional leaders must take note.

PRYAER:

Pray, asking God to forgive leaders in the society who were given opportunity to serve humanity but wasted their opportunities, in Jesus name. As an individual, ask God to forgive you where you have wasted opportunity given you in the past.

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch