But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

To recognize opportunity is the difference between success and failure. When opportunity knocks, we have to get up and answer the door. And we never know when it will knock.

If we as Christians are going to obey the Lord’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel, then we must know what we believe and how to present it. Sadly, many Christians are unable to do that. They have little to no understanding of why or what they believe. The Bible warns that “we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). When we don’t know what we believe, we are vulnerable. And because of this spiritual deficiency, we are ineffective witnesses for the Lord.  In Acts 7, we read about a man who was prepared for a significant moment in his life—which turned out to be a defining moment for the young church of Jesus Christ. When Stephen was hauled before the Sanhedrin, he was ready for the opportunity God dropped in his lap. He seized the moment and made a difference.

You can do the same…because you never know when those golden opportunities will come your way. As they would say in the 19th century, “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.” Be ready for that opportunity, because you never know when the Lord will drop it in your lap.