Make the most of where you are

Bob Russell Feb. 18, 2022

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A friend recently sent me this old story:

A farmer wrote to his son in prison, "I've decided not to plant potatoes this year. I can't plow the field without your help." The son responded, "Dad, don't plow up the field! That's where I buried the money I stole!" The next day the police, who regularly read the inmates' mail, immediately dispatched a vanload of officers to the farm. They proceeded to dig up the entire field but found nothing.

The son wrote back, "You can now plant the potatoes, Dad. That's the best I can do from here!

That funny story contains an important spiritual lesson. Sometimes we use difficult circumstances as an excuse for giving up and doing nothing. We feel helpless, restricted by our poor environment, limited opportunities, or meager talent. However, the Bible says, "[make] the most of every opportunity because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). It is amazing how much can be accomplished — even when disadvantaged — if we change our attitude and use a little imagination and determination.

Author J. Wallace Hamilton wrote about two country musicians whose girlfriends broke up with them within hours of one another. One jumped off a Nashville bridge and ended his life. The other went home and wrote a sad love song about his broken heart, which became a hit and netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's the best he could do from where he was — even though he was in a sad place.

Some of the world's most successful people have stubbornly refused to be imprisoned by difficult circumstances. John Grisham, the best-selling author, had his first novel, A Time to Kill, rejected more than a dozen times. Michael Jordan was cut from his junior high basketball team. Colonel Sanders was financially broke at age 65 before he marketed his recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Bud Paxon failed at two marriages and went bankrupt twice before founding the Home Shopping Network.

The list of successful people who refused to be bound by their past experiences seems endless. Solomon wrote,"…for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble into calamity"(Proverbs 24:16). The Apostle Paul is a great example of someone who made the most of where he was—including prison. He not only learned to be content in any circumstance, yet he also made the most of every opportunity, regardless of how unpleasant it seemed at the time:

• Thrown in jail for evangelizing in Philippi, so he converted the jailer.
• Hauled into a Cesarean court before kings who demanded he answer the charge of inciting an insurrection, and he turned the witness stand into a pulpit.
• Stoned outside Lystra, yet he got up and went back to the city, having gained new credibility as a martyr.
• Shipwrecked and stranded on the island of Malta, so he healed the sick and witnessed to the local authorities.
• Thrown into a Roman prison for two years, so he spent the time writing half of the New Testament

Paul refused to be chained by adverse circumstances. Instead, he did the best he could from where he was. No wonder God used him in such a significant way. Where do you find yourself today? Are you in some prison of your own making? Or are you trapped by circumstances beyond your control? You can't change the past, and sometimes there's little you can do about your present situation, but you can change your perspective about the future. You can do your best from here. Scott Stallings is a professional golfer who doesn't often win on the PGA Tour.

That means he plays with a lot of pressure every round. Recently he scored an eight, a triple bogey, on a par 5 hole. So naturally, he was discouraged when he walked off the green. However, Stallings tweeted the following heartwarming explanation, "Made an 8 on 13 today and then walked off the green to this… [a video of his family on the course with him]. They don't care if I make a birdie or a triple. So blessed to have them by my side"

Stallings' 25-second video speaks volumes about keeping perspective and doing the best we can from this point on. Take time and ask yourself if you've lost perspective about what really matters to you. Think about how much God has blessed you with family, loved ones, health and the hope of the gospel. Let that pick up your spirits and do the best you can regardless of where you are.

The Apostle Paul wrote from a Roman prison, "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).

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Bob Russell became the pastor of Southeast Christian Church at just 22 years old. That small congregation of 120 members became one of the largest churches in America, with 18,000 people attending the four worship services every weekend in 2006 when Bob retired. Now through Bob Russell Ministries, Bob continues to preach at churches; conferences throughout the United States, provide guidance for church leadership, mentor other ministers and author Bible study videos for use in small groups. Learn More »

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