A wise man is quoted as saying, "Success is a
matter of luck, ask any failure." That is to say, every failure sees and believes that success is a matter of luck But that is not the truth. Success is a matter of light!
There are two words that are almost similar: one is opportune, and the other is fortune. When somebody is fortunate, I believe it is because he is opportuned; that is, he is smart enough to grab a productive idea and put it to work.
He was smart enough to know what would work and how to make it work.
What is Opportunity?
Opportunity is a discovered avenue for profiting. It is locating what will work and making it work. It is knowing what will produce. I consider opportunity as the mother of all fortunes, and to lack it is to be unfortunate. A wise man once said, 'Opportunity is missed by many because it is dressed in overalls that look like work." Many don't like the word "Work". They think opportunity is merely a chance to enjoy what they don't earn.
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Taking advantage of situations by the gifts of God in your life is another definition of opportunity. Seeing the situation around and knowing what abilities are inherent in you, you then look for where those things will sell and put them to use. Nigeria is a country blessed with great reserve for great exploits. In fact, an Indian once said, "Nigeria is so blessed that you can literally pick Naira on the road; but Nigerians are so blind that they cannot see it." May God open your eyes!
Stop seeking short cuts to success. You can make the most of where you are by deciding to be productive and not look for cheap money! Nothing stays with you that you have not earned (Prov. 13:11).
There is no untalented Christian; there is no ungifted child of God. And every gift of the Spirit is for the profiting of the saints. You can engage the gifts of God in you to locate opportunities that abound around you and make the most of them.
Some time ago there was kerosene and gas scarcity in town' and one of my brothers located firewood in nearby villages, brought them to town and made great gains in six weeks by selling them to people. That is opportunity! Our success or prosperity is not tied to a particular area of endeavour. Psalm says,. "Whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper... It is not tied to any particular field, but to whatsoever thing he can make anything out of. That's why God's Word says, "Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with thy might... " (Eccl. 9:10). Proverbs 14:23 also says, "In all labour there is profit... " So, do not be imprisoned by your discipline or be tied down by your certificates and qualifications. Do not give in to fmstration because of your education. We live in a land of great fortunes, and so there is no excuse for misfortune. We live in a land of great opportunities; to be unfortunate is a shame.
What is the need for education? It is to broaden your understanding, helping you locate the abounding opportunities around you that will cause your star to shine. It exposes you to a wider range of choices. People with limited education do not know perhaps beyond what they are told by people around them. But the educated have volumes here and there from where they can gain and understand things. Utilize your education; don't allow it tie you down in failure.
How To Locate Opportunity
There are three ways of locating the opportunities that abound around you.
By a Search
The Bible says, "He that seeketh findeth." What you do not seek, you will never find. "Ask, you shall be given, seek you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you " (Matt. 7:7) It is your responsibility to conduct a search on where the gifts of God in you can produce good values and results. Conduct a search and be sincere about it. You must do that because opportunity is a man that is ever in great demand; if he does not come to you, go for him.
There is something in you crying out for expression. Look for where and how you can express it and profit by it as well. Opportunity abounds, but people are afraid of the labour it entails. People don't want to work, that's why they claim that there are no opportunities. In the parable of the idle labourers in Matthew 20, Jesus said, "Go and work." That means there is something for you to do. You must find it. You don't get from life more than what you put in it. So, go in search of opportunities.
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Create Opportunities
If at the end of your search you cannot locate opportunity, then create one by creative thinking! Tell yourself, "It can be done. I can do something here. If nobody hires me, I will hire myself." Creative thinking helps to locate diverse opportunities. You have a God-given ability to create things, because you are an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. By Christ were all things made. So you too can make things happen, because you have creative capabilities like Christ.
Catch Opportunities
At times, you do not even need a search, as opportunities present themselves. That is, there is no search, there is no effort, there is no rigour, but you just find opportunity waiting for you. A wise man said, "Eyes that look are many, but eyes that see are few" David saw an opportunity in Goliath. He killed him, and by Goliath's death David ascended the throne. Joseph saw an opportunity in the cupbearer he met in the prison. After interpreting his dream, Joseph said to him, "Remember me when you get to the palace. "
Note that opportunity must be utilized in order to bring profiting. The man by the pool of Bethesda was sitting by the pool of opportunity for 38 years and could not utilize it. Worse still, even when Jesus walked up to him to ask, "Would thou be made whole?" he almost lost the opportunity of being healed by explaining away his situation rather than answering in the affirmative.
Opportunity has been described as a baldheaded man that must be gabbed quickly before it slips by. A wise man said, "Many of us have heard opportunity knocking at our doors. But by the time we unlock the chains, push back the bolts, tum the two locks and shut off the burglary alarm, it was gone." is a very apt summary of Songs of Solomon 5:2-8. When opportumty is lost, misfortune sets in. So, it's not enough to see and have opportunity; you must rise up swiftly to utilize it before it is gone.
It is time to see the opportunities that pass by daily. May they not slip by you unutilized anymore!