Question 1

How can we discover and come to understand our potential?

Accepted Answer

Romans 12:3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.Our full potential has to do with what God can do through us, not what we can do by ourselves. Healthy self-esteem is an honest self-appraisal—not too proud because of the gifts and abilities God has given us, yet not so self-effacing that we fail to use our gifts and abilities to their full potential for God’s glory.Romans 8:29God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.1 Corinthians 12:4-11There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.You have the potential to be like Jesus and minister under the power of the same Spirit that energized him. You can begin by getting to know Jesus and his teachings as recorded in the Bible. Ask for God’s help and for the guidance of other believers as you seek to identify and use the gifts he has given you.Ephesians 2:10We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.You have the potential to do the amazing things God has planned for you, if you only let him work through you. God’s plan includes a dynamic series of opportunities to serve him for good by serving others.

Question 2

Is it really possible for me to achieve my God-given potential?

Accepted Answer

John 15:5“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”Matthew 21:21Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.”John 5:19So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”You have the potential for a healthy love relationship with God. You must be closely connected to your Creator in order to achieve his plans for you. Achieving God-given potential is accepting what God gives to achieve it. Jesus is your example. Allow his Spirit to energize and guide you.Matthew 5:13-16“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”1 Peter 2:9You are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.You have the potential to reflect the glory of God when you let others see Jesus in your life. Beyond your direct impact on other people’s lives, recognize that God has you on display before the world. He wants to show them things in and through you that point to him and give him glory, even when this means you don’t get noticed.Jeremiah 1:7The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.”You have the potential to fulfill God’s plan for your life when you follow God’s direction. Don’t place conditions or limitations on the ways you are willing to let God use you.Exodus 18:21, 25“Select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.” . . . He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.1 Chronicles 26:32There were 2,700 capable men among the relatives of Jeriah. King David sent them to the east side of the Jordan River and put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were responsible for all matters related to God and to the king.Daniel 6:3Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.Romans 12:8-10If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.1 Timothy 4:12-16Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.You have the potential to influence others for God. So use whatever God has given you responsibly, generously, and joyfully in loving service to him and others. Realize you will probably have to prove yourself to some people, but persist in using the gifts you have discovered. God has some people in mind for you to minister to under his guidance.Acts 16:2-3Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.Philippians 4:9Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.You have the potential to change lives forever, so be a mentor who encourages others to be all God wants them to be. Take note of those who have had mentoring ministry in your life and significantly guided your walk with God.

Question 3

How does God encourage me to reach the potential he sees in me?

Accepted Answer

Judges 6:11-12, 14-15Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” . . . Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? . . . I am the least in my entire family!”The angel of the Lord greeted Gideon by calling him a “mighty hero.” Was God talking to the right person? This was Gideon, hiding in a winepress from his enemies, who saw himself as “the least” in his family. God calls out the best in us, and he can see more in us than we could ever see in ourselves. We look at our limitations, but God looks at our potential. Gideon was threshing wheat to provide for his family, carrying on despite the dangers. If you want to change your perspective, learn to see your life from God’s eyes. God identified the strength that Gideon had and directed him to broaden his goals from caring for his family to serving his nation. God doesn’t put nearly as many limitations on us as we do. He not only sees us as we are today; he sees us for what he intends us to be.Hebrews 11:32-35How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.The heroes of the Bible were all of the flawed by sin; nevertheless, they saw their potential revealed and released through the exercise of faith. Recognize that God included potential in your original design. The process of discovering and exercising your potential will be most effective if you continually seek his help in understanding how and where he designed you to serve by faith.2 Corinthians 1:21It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us.2 Corinthians 3:5It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.Philippians 4:13I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.God enables us all with strength and unique abilities. Then his Spirit empowers our potential. Focus your attention on what God can do through you, rather than on what you think you can do in your own strength.Exodus 4:2, 11-12The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. . . . Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”The staff in Moses’s hand represented his life experiences; God’s intention to use Moses’s mouth (something Moses didn’t feel was of much value) represented God’s decision to use what Moses considered inadequate to accomplish his purposes for Israel. God puts both our strengths and our shortcomings to good use when they are surrendered to him.Exodus 31:6“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make.”2 Chronicles 1:10“Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”Jeremiah 1:9Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!”Daniel 1:17God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.Daniel 6:3Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.Romans 12:6In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.1 Corinthians 12:8-10To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.God equips us with the abilities (both human gifts and spiritual gifts) as well as providing the resources we need (the Bible, the church, prayer, godly friends) to receive training in wisdom and knowledge as we accumulate experiences leading to further ministry and usefulness for God’s Kingdom.2 Timothy 3:16All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.1 Peter 2:2Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.God guides us with his Word. Get in the habit of using it as a filter and check to evaluate your experiences, thoughts, and the teaching you receive. Give God the deciding vote in your life by spending time with him in Scripture.Numbers 13:30Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”God strengthens us through the encouragement of others. This in turn prepares us to be an encouragement to others, even when our voice is outnumbered and what we say is unpopular. God’s strength in us will release our potential.2 Corinthians 10:13We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us.God protects us by setting boundaries that keep us within safe limits. One reason for developing a clear understanding of our gifts and abilities is that it provides a clearer picture of our limitations and our best opportunities for service to God.

Question 4

How will I know when I have reached my potential?

Accepted Answer

Ephesians 3:20All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.Philippians 3:12-14I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.1 John 3:1-3We are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.Revelation 2:19“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.”The bad news is that we will never realize our full potential on this earth because our human nature is sinful and therefore we can’t be perfect. But God promises that we have far more potential than we could ever think, and that we can achieve this potential if we let him work in and through us. Significant progress toward our potential will not happen overnight, but with small steady steps every day in the right direction. Perseverance is the key to reaching our potential.

Question 5

What can stop me from reaching my potential?

Accepted Answer

1 Samuel 8:3They [Samuel’s sons] were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.Ezekiel 33:25“So tell these people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols, and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours?’”Hosea 9:10The Lord says, “O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season. But then they deserted me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped.”Ephesians 5:5You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.2 Peter 2:12-19You are a slave to whatever controls you.Wasted potential is tragic. We are created in the image of a loving and holy God, with the potential to reflect his goodness and grace. We begin to develop our spiritual potential when we recognize the damaging impact of our sinful nature and ask Jesus for forgiveness. The Bible promises that when we give Jesus control of our life, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our heart. The Spirit then begins the work of helping us reach the spiritual potential for which we were created—to become more like Jesus and to use our spiritual gifts to help others. Deciding not to follow Jesus is deciding not to live toward the potential for which we were created.Genesis 17:17Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”Exodus 3:11Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”Exodus 4:1, 10, 13Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” . . . But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” . . . But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”Numbers 13:27-29, 31-33This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. . . . We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites.1 Samuel 9:20-21“I [Samuel] am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.” Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”Jeremiah 1:6-8“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”Thinking our potential is based on and dependent on what we can do for ourselves (in contrast to what God can do through us) will prevent us from reaching it. Reticence or humility before God when he has equipped or called us for service reveals we have temporarily forgotten that God actually knows us completely and sees right through any attempt on our part to avoid what he wants to accomplish through us.Proverbs 3:28If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”Proverbs 12:11A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.When we can meet a need, we must never hesitate to do so. Procrastination or laziness can hinder our potential. Who we will become is a by-product of what we do today. Don’t waste the day.Matthew 5:13-16“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”Luke 19:26“‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.’”2 Peter 1:5-9Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.Continually seek God’s help in identifying the potential he has built into you, the opportunities he has placed before you, and the places he has called you to serve him. Encourage others rather than comparing yourself to them, and seek to make progress in God’s sight each day.

Potential