Obedience And Opportunity

There’s a major misconception about how God gives opportunities to His people to do something for Him. Many people want God to first give them great opportunities so they can display great obedience. But often, until then, they won’t be obedient with what they’ve already been given.

God won’t give you more to do for Him until you do what He’s already given you to do.

God won’t give you more to do for Him until you do what He’s already given you to do.


Obedience And Opportunity | Sermon

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
—Luke 16:10

Today’s Bible reading: Luke 16:1–15
There’s a major misconception about how God gives opportunities to His people to do something for Him. Many people want God to first give them great opportunities so they can display great obedience. But often, until then, they won’t be obedient with what they’ve already been given.

Maybe it’s the church planter who wants to preach to five thousand people before he’ll preach with faithfulness and excellence to five hundred people. Or fifty people. Or five people.

Maybe it’s the person who would love for God to give him one million dollars to be generous with, but he won’t be generous with the paycheck he is receiving right now.
Maybe it’s the college student who claims she would die for her faith in the Middle East, but she can’t share her faith with her roommate.


If you read the Bible, it’s pretty clear that this is simply not the way it works with God.

•  Joseph had to be faithful in slavery and prison before he was put in charge over Egypt.

•  David had to herd sheep before he killed a giant.

•  And as we saw yesterday, Stephen had to wait tables for widows before he defended his faith to the masses.

Are you waiting for a great opportunity, certain that you’ll be faithful when the time comes but not bothering to develop your readiness right now? You’re probably not unfaithful, but are you less faithful in your present responsibilities than you could be? Cutting corners? Stopping at adequate rather than going all the way to exceptional?


God won’t give you more to do for Him until you do what He’s already given you to do. So stop praying for a life of impact and do something as impactful as you can. Stop praying for a bigger platform and use the one you’ve been given. Stop praying for a better assignment and pour more passion into the one you have.

Obedience creates opportunity, not the other way around.
Do something right now with what you have and watch the miraculous power of God multiply what you have. Be obedient with what God has given you, and He’ll give you more to be obedient with.

PRAYER FOCUS: Commit before God to be faithful today, tomorrow, and from now on in whatever task He puts before you.

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Steven Furtick is the founder and senior pastor of the Elevation Church, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Elevation was cited by Outreach magazine as one of the 100 fastest growing churches.