Paul had an open door of ministry in Ephesus, and this was important to him. He wanted to win the lost in Ephesus, not go to Corinth to pamper the saved. (On “open doors,” see Acts 14:27; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3; Rev. 3:8.) Paul was neither an optimist nor a pes- simist; he was a realist. He saw both the opportunities and the obstacles. God had opened “a great door for effective work,” and Paul wanted to seize the opportu- nities while they were still there.An ancient Roman proverb says, “While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity.” Once we know what to do, we must do it and not delay. We can usu-ally think of many reasons (or excuses) not to act. Eventhough Paul was in danger in Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32), he planned to remain there while the door was open. Like a wise merchant, he had to “buy up the opportu- nity” before it vanished and would never return.The stewardship of opportunity is important. The individual believer, and the church family, must con- stantly ask, What opportunities is God giving us today? Instead of complaining about the obstacles, we must take advantage of the opportunities, and leave the results with the Lord.