One of my favorite things to do growing up was to play baseball. Across the street from my childhood home was a big open area my family owned. This is where my adoration for the game of baseball grew. During the summers, my Dad and I would go across the street to this open area for several baseball-related activities. We would play catch, my Dad would throw me batting practice, and he would hit me fly balls to catch. Although these activities never led me to become the next Ken Griffey Jr., these were some of the most fun times in my life. This is something I gain a greater appreciation for as I get older. It has left an impact on me. I never realized that impact when it was going on.

I bring this up for a reason. It would have been easy for opportunities like this not to happen. It could have been easy to miss opportunities to have a lasting impact. There could have been many excuses that originated. Do we do our best to make things happen, or do we devise excuses not to turn something into a reality? Are there opportunities in our lives to spread God’s Word? What do we do when these opportunities arise? We are called to be proactive in spreading God’s Word. We see this proactiveness in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 28, we see Jesus deliver the Great Commission. This was Jesus’ message to His disciples to spread The Gospel. Matthew 28:16-20 says, “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As Christians, we should never overlook an opportunity that could leave a lasting impact, from participating in activities that can build lasting memories to spreading God’s Word. We should be vigilant of these windows of opportunity. We should never overlook any opportunity, great or small.