Some people seem destined to live below their expectations. The comic strip character, Ziggy, regularly expresses what many of those folks must feel. Years ago Ziggy conveyed his waning hope this way: “When my ship finally comes in, it’ll probably be during the dock strike.”
Sometimes it certainly seems like the people around you live a charmed life. With every change of the tide, a new opportunity seems sail into their life. You haven’t given up hope that opportunity will knock at your door, but you are beginning to worry that when it does you might not be home.
If there are days when you feel like Ziggy, let me encourage you to remember that God really wants you to experience blessings you haven’t even thought of. Indeed, the apostle Paul writes, “With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
You may also want to consider adjusting your focus. Standing on the dock you can see a cargo ship while it is still miles away. It is fun to imagine what it might be carrying and how much of it you would enjoy (if it were yours). But while you are spending all of that time fantasizing, you may be missing some of the real opportunities God has placed right at your feet.
Paul encourages the community of believers in Ephesus to “make the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16). Paul not only warns them about the distractions that might cause them to miss an opportunity God has prepared for them, but also offers them some advice on ways they can make more of the opportunities that come their way. Think. Stay sharp. Tune in. Give thanks. That’s it really.
As you spend time reflecting on this advice from Paul, I pray you will begin to experience all that it means to “live a life filled with love” (Ephesians 5:1). Talk about a great opportunity. God has some great expectations for you. I can think of none greater.
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