Potential

Has life become so filled with efforts to cover every financial contingency, to realize one's full earthly potential, and finally to retire comfortably, that without realizing it we are finding our hope in this world rather than in God?  Dave Hunt

Each of us has the potential to be great.  By that I don’t mean great in the sense of worldly greatness.  Worldly greatness is fleeting.  It doesn’t last long.  If you look at every politician you will often see what the world perceives as greatness.  We often associate our potential by how the world perceives it.  If I can be the best athlete or become President or be the first in my graduation class I will be great.  What I really mean is we can be great for God.

In reality what happens is we mess up.  We fail at something and our perception of the greatness we thought we attained is gone and other people look at us and see us as a failure.  If you think about it, what other people think shouldn’t really matter.   What matters is what God thinks. 

If we understand that the power lies in God instead of us we are on the right path.  We have a hard time understanding the meaning of “My strength is made perfect in weakness”.   We question how we can be strong in weakness.  Since these are opposites it doesn’t make sense in a world where worldly strength is all important.   

When we stop trying to obtain worldly strength and start depending on God’s strength there is nothing we can’t do.  Our potential is fully fulfilled when we depend on God for our strength instead of ourselves.  Every one of us has the potential to be great for God.  All He asks is that we place our trust in Him every day.  His strength is unending and will sustain us even in our weakest moments.  Let go and let Him.  

    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, sometimes it is hard for me to understand that when I am at my weakest that is when your strength is manifested in me.  The irony is that when I am at my weakest I will often turn to You.  Unfortunately, sometimes pride takes over and I think I can do it better on my own.  When that happens my potential for greatness for God is lost.  Help me to keep my focus on You so that I am able to reach my full potential through You and for Your glory.  

Scripture: And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10