March 25 Check And Checkmate Are Powerful In Life And Chess.

What are the biggest opportunities that exist in your organization or company? It does not matter if you own an organization or whether you work for one, it is wise for all to be concerned about this answer. What is the largest challenge at your organization?

It is easier to be concerned about the smaller issues because they make us fear less. There is generally less risk associated with smaller issues. But the rewards are less as well. In the game of chess, when your opponent places your king in jeopardy, it is called being put in check.

That is what fear can do to us. It can put you in check. But the game of chess is won when you put a king in jeopardy that cannot be avoided. It is called checkmate. We tend to want our world to remain status quo but the rewards of being in business for yourself can make a significant difference in our families, team and customers lives.

When we turn ourselves around and face fear and the biggest challenges, we are likely to see them as opportunities. When we do this, I think we can call it checkmate as well. The danger and fear cannot win against us when we transform it into an opportunity which is a winning move.

What is the first step you can do to capture a great opportunity or to mitigate your greatest danger?

As Christians, we can tend to address the small challenges while the larger risks and dangers lurk in the background. Our fear of change may paralyze us. We miss some of the greatest opportunities in our lives as well. How can we shake the fear?

The answer is in facing it. That requires us to meet it right where it comes at us. We can challenge it and send it packing. Christ taught a lesson beginning in Luke 7:41. This is a parable about two people who had loans. One had a loan of fifty pieces and another person had a loan of five hundred pieces.

Both people defaulted on their loans, but the person owed the money forgave their debts completely. The question from Christ was who was happier about the action of forgiveness. The one forgiven the most, the larger debtor was the answer.

Why then are we scared to capture the biggest opportunities, forgive the biggest trespasses, and fear the biggest problems? It is time to follow Christ, let us go big with Christ. Fear puts us in check, but Christ is the checkmate. If we cannot go big, why are we going at all?

He does not want just some of our hearts, he wants it all. It is the Easter season, so it is a great time to step up and step out. What is the first thing you can do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you are so great. You have given us so much potential, but we tend to listen to our fears. We can avoid the bigger challenges in our lives by holding onto the comforts of what we have. We often trust in ourselves instead of in you.

Help us to help others by looking for the larger challenges and opportunities. Make the glory of our successes highlight the love we have for you. Guide us, help us to move forward whether it is to step up to a challenge or to grab a hold of an opportunity. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,