Minister’s Message: Some opportunities can be a mirage

Published 2:30 am Friday, July 3, 2026

Most people assume the greatest threats to their lives come disguised as bad things. We think of temptation, compromise, destructive habits, or poor decisions. Certainly those things can cause damage. But often the greatest distractions in life are not bad things at all. They’re good things.

Good opportunities.

A promotion. A new project. A new hobby. A new relationship. A new commitment. A new possibility.

The challenge is that not every opportunity deserves a yes. In fact, some of the greatest mistakes people make are not the result of choosing something bad. They happen when we choose a lesser good over a greater priority. That’s one of the realities of adulthood. Every new opportunity requires an investment, and every yes means saying no to something else.

This means the real question is not whether an opportunity is good. The real question is whether it is more important than what has already been entrusted to us.

A career opportunity can slowly compete with being present at home. A recreational opportunity can crowd out meaningful relationships. A financial opportunity can quietly consume the margin needed for family, rest, or community involvement. The opportunity itself may not be wrong. The issue is whether it has displaced something more important.

Some opportunities are like a mirage in the desert. From a distance, a mirage appears to be exactly what a thirsty traveler needs. It promises refreshment. It promises satisfaction. It promises that what you’ve been searching for is finally just ahead. But when you arrive, you discover it was never really there at all.

Life can be like that.

Sometimes a distraction wears the clothes of an opportunity.

Not everything that looks promising is actually beneficial. Not everything that is available is necessary. Maturity involves learning to tell the difference.

One of the most helpful questions we can ask ourselves is this: What has already been entrusted to me?

For some people, the answer is a spouse. For others, children. For others, aging parents, close friendships, community responsibilities, or commitments already made. These things may not always feel exciting, but they matter deeply. Before asking, “What could I do?” it is often wise to ask, “What should I do?” Those are not always the same question.

The truth is that opportunities are not the enemy. Many opportunities are gifts from God. They help us grow, learn, serve, and contribute. The goal is not to avoid opportunities. The goal is to evaluate them wisely.

Because not every opportunity deserves a yes.

Sometimes the most mature thing a person can say is, “That’s a good opportunity, but right now it isn’t my priority.”

And learning the difference may be one of the most important marks of maturity a person ever develops.

Andrew and Kristy Miller, along with their seven children, live in Sterling and serve at Sterling Baptist Church located at the corner of Swanson River Road and the Sterling Highway. Family worship is at 11 a.m. on Sundays.