Everyone one has potential, you included. You were created in the image of God. When you were born God didn’t scratch His head and say, “now what am I going to do with this one?” He had a plan in mind before you were born. Listen to what the Lord told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” This means before the bubble gum cigars were passed out and Jeremiah cried his first cry the Lord knew him, set him apart, and had plans for him. Just like Jeremiah you were created with a purpose in mind; but your potential has to be developed in the process of discovering your purpose. The Bible tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It goes on to say that we were known by God before we were born and that He knit us together while we were in our mother’s womb. Therefore, you came from the seed of a man, through the womb of a woman, but, you came from the heart of God. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you and that alone has enough potential to change your life, and the lives of everyone else you come in contact with!
Your purpose is unique and your potential is powerful. Your potential is the existing ability you have to develop the future you desire. Your potential already exists, it just has to be realized, released, and refined before it is ever expressed by you, or experienced by others. #believeit
I want use these 3 words and 3 familiar Bible stories to prove the power of potential:
- Gideon had to realize his potential before it was ever exhibited. The Lord sent an Angel to tell Gideon he was a mighty man of valor and was going to be used by God to lead a mighty army that would win the victory over their enemies. When the angel called Gideon a “mighty man of valor” Gideon looked around to see who the angel was talking to. You see many times your potential is seen by others before it is ever realized by you. Your potential may be recognized on the outside by others before it is ever realized on the inside by you. However, you have to believe it before it will expressed by you or experienced by others. I can tell you all day, everyday that you can do it, but if you don’t believe you can, chances are you won’t. Your limitations; don’t limit God. The only thing that limits God is your doubt and most of the time you probably don’t doubt God, you doubt yourself! You don’t have to be the greatest, you just have to be willing. You do your part and God will do His part. Like Gideon, not everyone will go with you into battle. God knows who needs to “walk it out” with you. Surround yourself with people who will speak to your potential. God believed in Gideon way before Gideon believed in himself. When you realize God lives in you and He believes you can do it, you will discover, develop, and do what God is asking you to do. You have the potential, it just has to be realized so it can be expressed by you, and experienced by others. #believeit
- David had to release his faith by slinging the stone or the giant coming down would have never came to fruition. David could have had all of the ability in the natural realm to use a slingshot. He could have had all the faith it took to release the stone in the spiritual realm. However, he had to release the stone before it could ever kill the giant. I believe David had faith. He had seen God deliver the lion and bear into his hands. David had been faithful in the small areas of life. Areas like tending to his father’s sheep on the backside of a mountain in obscurity, while Saul and his brothers were on the front lines of the biggest battle in the region. David practiced in private what gave him skills in public. Don’t waste those times of obscurity when no one is watching; instead use it to develop your potential. Don’t value peoples opinions over God’s promises or you will never see your full potential manifest. Saul, and David’s brothers had their opinions about David, but remember this: What people say; doesn’t trump what God can do. What other people say about you can’t override or overrule what God can do through you! You have the potential to see giants fall. Just like David, you have the potential to release your faith; you just have to believe you belong! #believeit
- Daniel, Shadrach, Mischach, and Abednego had great potential but that potential became even greater when it was refined. Sometimes your potential grows when you are pressed, tried, or tested. Daniel, Shadrach, Mischach, and Abednego determined to do the right thing and that determination became their distinguishing difference. Your potential will be accentuated as you discipline yourself to what’s right and focus on what matters. The book of Daniel chapter 1 tells us that Daniel, Shadrach, Mischach, and Abednego were skilled, good looking, smart, capable of learning and able to be taught. The king understood that these men had potential. The potential to become leaders and teachers in his kingdom. However, the king didn’t say, “we will now serve the God of Daniel” because Daniel was smart and good looking. The king made this statement because Daniel put his faith in God and God was faithful towards Daniel. The 3 Hebrew children (Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego) were walking in the fire when the king said, “didn’t we throw 3 men into the fire?” And the man said, “as matter a fact we did.” Then the kings said, “there is a fourth man in the fire and it appears to be the Son of God!” God didn’t walk through the fire with the 3 Hebrew children because they were smart and good looking. He walked through the fire with them because He is faithful. God sees the potential for all of us to become more and be better. But sometimes he uses trials of fire to burn up what binds us and to do away with those things that hinder our potential. The 3 Hebrew children came out of the fire and the only thing that had burned up is that which they had been bound by. Sometimes the refining of your potential is brought about by being loosed from those things which bind you. Daniel, was thrown into the lion’s den and Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire by the hands of men. But they were delivered out by the hand of God. Just like Daniel and the 3 Hebrew children people will use your potential to resolve their problems; but God will use your problems to refine your potential. You have potential, but you haven’t seen anything until it has been refined! #believeit
