In 1985, in only his second season in the NFL, Dan Marino made it to the Superbowl. Despite throwing for over three hundred yards and a touchdown, Marino’s Miami Dolphins lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 34-16. Marino felt bad, but he wasn’t devastated. He was one of the most promising talents in the NFL. He had made it to the Superbowl in only his second season. Surely he would be back. Dan Marino retired in 1999. He holds just about every record imaginable for a quarterback, but he never made it back to the Superbowl. Even today he says that if he would have realized that 1985 was going to be his only Superbowl, he would have appreciated it more. He would have made the most of that opportunity.
We all have opportunities that we’ve missed in our lives. Opportunities in school, at work, in love. Just like Dan Marino, we don’t always make the most of every opportunity. Well, this morning we are going to see that God gives us many opportunities to serve him and our fellow man and that he wants us to make the most of every opportunity. So let’s take a look at those opportunities as Paul lays them out for us in Galatians chapter 6:1-10;14-16...
I. To give credit where credit is due (3-5,14-16)
Since I’ve already brought up the subject of sports this morning, I’ve got a question for you. In professional sports today, how do most players react when they score or do something good? They celebrate, but they do even more than that. They go crazy. They pound themselves in the chest. They dance. They say, “Look at me. Look what I’ve done. I’m number one.” We all have that in us, don’t we? That desire to hear praise from others, to hear them say that we are good, smart, funny, or good looking. We like to feel better than other people. And there’s a word for that. It’s pride.
In just a few minutes we are going to talk about how God wants us to lovingly correct our brothers and sisters in the faith when they do something wrong. But he wants us to do it humbly. You know, it’s so easy when we see somebody else fall into a sin to think that we are going to help them because we are so good, because we would never fall into that kind of sin. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of condescension. To want to correct our brothers and sisters not as brothers and sisters, but condescendingly as little children.
Paul, however, here in our text for this morning reminds us how to keep that pride in check. He tells us: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.” God doesn’t want us comparing ourselves with other people. He wants us to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror. And if we find something to be proud of in what we have done, well, fine. But there is a problem, however. When I look at myself honestly in the mirror, when I test my own actions, what I have done in my life, I see that I don’t have anything to be proud of. I have years of not looking out for other people. Years of jealousy. Years of angry words and sinful thoughts. When I look in the mirror, I see a dirty, undeserving sinner. I have no reason to feel superior to a fellow Christian who falls into a sin, because I daily fall into my own.
But I can take pride in something. Paul tells us: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We can take pride in Jesus. He’s number one and we’re on his team. Through his cross, my sins of pride and jealousy have been washed clean. I can look in the mirror and see a perfect child of God. I can test my actions which have been washed clean in Jesus blood and take pride in that. As verse 16 says, we have been given peace, peace with God and peace of mind. We have been shown mercy.
So let’s make the most of every opportunity to give credit where credit is due. It seems that just about every week there is a different award’s show on TV. Be it for movies, music, or videos... you name it, there’s an award show for it. Now, when I watch those shows I always listen to see whom the winners thank. And it makes me feel good to hear that even today, some still give credit where credit is do, by thanking God first.
In everything you “accomplish” in this world: graduating from school, having a family, working your way to the top, making friends... give credit where credit is due. “It is God who works in you to will and to do according to his good purpose.” Most importantly let’s always give credit where credit is due when it comes to our salvation. Why am I going to heaven? Not because I am a good person or have led a good life. Not even because I have faith. I am going to heaven because Jesus suffered the punishment of my sins on the cross. Make the most of every opportunity to give credit where credit is due.
II. To do good to all (7-10)
But now having seen all that God has done for us, he wants us to serve him and others as our way of thanking him. You see, the faith that is in our hearts, the faith that gives God credit for our salvation, also wants to live for God. Those who say, “I have forgiveness, so I am going to go out and party and do what I want” show that they do not have the love of God in their hearts.
Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. We can’t fool him. He knows what’s in our hearts. He knows everything we do. He knows if we “sow to the sinful nature”, i.e., if we reject him and live in sin. He knows if we “sow to please the Spirit”, i.e., if we have faith which shows itself in acts of love. So, let’s make the most of every opportunity to live the faith that he has given us. Let’s not become weary and tired of doing good to others. As verse 10 says: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.”
When God gives you the opportunity to help your fellow man, make the most of that opportunity. Whether it be a worthy charity, giving blood, volunteering at the hospital, helping your neighbor move, visiting the elderly lady down the street who seems to be lonely. Make the most of every opportunity to show love and kindness.
When your husband is grouchy, when your parents are unfair, when your boss yells at you. Make the most of every opportunity to forgive. And when the devil tempts you to be selfish, to grow weary of doing good: take a good long look again at that cross. Jesus has made the most of every opportunity to show you love and kindness. He has made the most of every opportunity to forgive you (and let me tell you, he has had many opportunities to forgive us because we just sin so much). So let’s thank him by making the most of every opportunity to do good to others...
III. To especially watch out for our brothers and sisters (1-6)
And especially, as our text tells us, to those who belong to the family of believers. Paul actually gives us some examples here in our text of opportunities to show love to our brothers and sisters in the faith. He says in verse one that if we see that a fellow Christian has fallen into some kind of sin, we should “restore him gently.” The word for restore here in the text was the word used to describe how a surgeon in those days fixed a broken arm or leg. God wants us to confront a person when they are found in sin, but he wants us to do it to restore them, to heal them, so that they repent and come back to God. As we saw before, this isn’t a condescending reprimand, but rather a concerned sibling looking out for his brother or sister.
Love sometimes hurts. It may not be easy to confront a fellow Christian with his or her sins. They may get angry. But God wants us to do it anyway, because that is true love. It does that person no good if we allow him or her to continue in their sin unrepentant. So if you see a brother or sister in the faith do something sinful, go to them privately, and humbly make the most of the opportunity to show them love. Talk to them about what they’ve done. Encourage them to repent. Remind them of Jesus’ forgiveness. That’s your responsibility as their brother or sister.
And there’s one more opportunity that the Apostle Paul encourages us to make the most of. That is, to “share all good things” with those who instruct us in the faith. Now it’s kind of weird for me to talk about this because I’m the one who instructs you. But I am not saying this because I want something for myself. No, I’m saying this because God wants us to make the most of every opportunity to support, honor and respect his messengers.
Now because this is awkward for me, I’ll talk about Pastor Carlos. Support him. Honor him. Respect him, even if in your opinion he’s not the perfect pastor. He is God’s messenger. So, support him, not only with your words and prayers, but also with your time and talents. And, well, speaking as one who knows he isn’t the perfect pastor, please support me too. Not because I want it or am asking, but because your Savior wants you to make the most of every opportunity.
After such a successful career, I’m sure Dan Marino has very few regrets, but I bet one of them is the missed opportunity of not winning a Superbowl. Let’s not get to the end of our career here on earth looking back at missed opportunities. Make the most of every opportunity to give glory, honor and credit to God. Make the most of every opportunity to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Brothers and sisters, make the most of every opportunity. Amen.
