How would you like to reach your potential even in a pandemic?
I mean, really stretch out and see what God has for you?
A common reason for a Christian’s failure is the fact that he/she doesn’t realize their full potential. Have you found yourself failing quite often in your Christian life? It may be due to a lack of realizing your God-given potential.
Over the last 40 years, I have witnessed Christians steadily convince themselves that they have very little potential. But there are 4 things you must know about the potential of God’s people. Consider the following from the Bible in 1 Kings 17:
1. Your potential in a pandemic is based on your priority (v. 1)
1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
What are your priorities? Circumstances change the priorities of some people. Some tell themselves, “God is #1 in my life as long as my life is good.”
Some people seek notoriety as their chief priority. They will neglect the things of God if they feel that it makes them look bad in the eyes of others. For some people it’s money. Their life’s decisions are based upon what earns them the greater riches, even though riches are deceitful and impossible to take to the grave.
Elijah was a mighty prophet of God. He did a lot of mighty works because his priorities were right. Elijah stood before Ahab, the king of Israel. If he played ball with the king and made Ahab’s requests his priority, he would have:
1) prestige
2) a comfortable lifestyle
3) lots of wealth
However, he would never do any mighty miraculous works. Elijah stood before the king but kept his priorities straight. Instead of looking to earthly power he looked to heavenly power and proclaimed: “As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand.”
“before whom I stand” means before whom I serve!
What are your priorities?
2. Your potential in a pandemic is based on God’s power (v. 1)
Where does your power come from? Some people seek inner power of the mind. Some people seek earthy power of the earth’s produce such as crystals. Some people seek cosmic power of the stars. Today, people want power and they will try the craziest things to get it!
The growing interest in astrology driven by millennials, as well as the popularity of crystals and tarot cards via the ballooning wellness industry, have brought mysticism from the fringes, and right into the mainstream.
The practice of witchcraft has seen major growth in recent decades. From 1990 to 2008, Trinity College in Connecticut ran three large, detailed religion surveys over an 18-year period and this is what surfaced:
Wiccans (witches) grew from an estimated 8,000 in 1990, to 340,000 practitioners in 2008. They also estimated there were around 340,000 Pagans in 2008 (polytheists, idolaters).
The Pew Research Center in 2014 found that almost 1.5 million Americans, identify as Wicca or Pagan. Folks, society is abandoning the Creator and are instead seeking creation for its power.
Elijah’s power came from God. He proclaimed, “as the Lord God of Israel liveth“. Elijah came in the name and power of the Lord. Elijah was willing to trust that God’s power was greater than Ahab’s.
True power!
When you pray for something do you seek God’s power? In 1990, I remember reading about the pastor of the world’s largest Christian congregation. The church is Yoido Full Gospel Central Church in Seoul, South Korea. Listen as I read a more recent excerpt about it:
Beginning in the 1980s, Full Gospel Central Church decided to establish satellite churches throughout the city of Seoul and further afield, as it would not be able to keep on expanding indefinitely. Despite the expansion of the auditorium to seat 12,000 in 1983, seven Sunday services were insufficient to accommodate the entire membership. As exponential growth continued, reaching 700,000 by 1992, the need for satellite churches became more pressing. Despite the drain of members to the satellite churches, however, new recruits by the mother church — brought in through the vast cell network – have made up for the losses, and membership stood at 780,000 in 2003.
Today, this one church has a membership of 800,000 and weekly attendance of 200,000. But, what was the cause of such miraculous growth? As I read more about the pastor’s life I came across this fact: The church’s senior pastor spends 3 hours each morning with God.
When you do service for God do you do it in the power of God? The important part of the Great Commission occurs in the words leading up to it when Jesus said, “All power is given unto me”.
3. Your potential in a pandemic is based on prompt obedience (vv. 2-5)
1 Kings 17:2-5 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
Are you prompt to obey?
When looking back at our problems we find that many could have been avoided if we had taken the bull by the horns and obeyed God with haste.
For example, God’s word says that we are to correct our children early. In other words, we are not to put discipline off, do it immediately. Eli was the high priest of Israel, by all accounts he loved and served the lord; however, his son’s, Hophni and Phinehas, despised God and everything associated with God. Eli’s failure to chasten his son’s early in life lead to their demise.
Likewise, David was the king of Israel, he was a man after God’s own heart. Yet, through carelessness, he failed raise his sons in a like manner. There was great sin and even murder within his children’s lives. Somethings cannot be put off; prompt obedience is a must to reach our full potential!
God gave Elijah a command = “get thee hence” (v. 3)
AND …
Elijah’s response was immediate = “So he went” (v. 5)
When God says something, do it right away, before the flesh, world, & Satan talk you out of it!
4. Your potential in a pandemic is based on your persistence (vv. 7-10)
1 Kings 17:7-10 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
Elijah stayed persistent with the Lord’s command long enough to see the brook dry up. He never left the Lord’s will for his life, no matter how lonely or bleak things looked. Once there were no more resources to sustain him, the Lord said move. In keeping with Elijah’s persistent character, he continued to obey the Lord no matter what.
The Saviour’s challenge
Many years later, the Lord Jesus Christ talked about the servant’s persistent living this way:
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Are you persistent in living for God? One of the terms for discipleship is a daily living for Jesus. To fulfill your potential, you must not quit even in the hardest of times. The hardest times are the best time for success. They are the “make or break moments”. During such times you are standing next to victory. That’s why Satan’s crowd opposes you so much.
Anyone can be gifted in an area of life, but if it is not pursued it is wasted. Living for God is hard but if you quit after 1 month; 1 year; 10 years; or even 50 years, you will never see your great potential realized.
So, what about your potential in a pandemic?
“Potential” is by definition: the maximum limit you can achieve.
But what is the Christian’s potential? I suppose it is directly related to God’s potential. Does God have any limits? Is there anything that is able to stop Him or slow Him down?
In like manner, there is no limit to what you can do if you have:
1) the right PRIORITY – God 1st
2) the right POWER – God’s alone
3) PROMPT obedience – like Elijah’s
4) PERSISTENCE – like Jesus commands
Just think what you could do; your family could do; your church could do if you acted as Elijah and realized its full potential! Stop looking at your glass as half empty!
PRIORITY + POWER + PROMPTNESS + PERSISTENCE = POTENTIAL
Care to comment on this?
Leave a comment at the bottom of this blog post. I would love to know your thoughts!
Until my next editorial post, keep seeking TRUTH!
Regards,
Mike MacDonald
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About Mike MacDonald:
As an ordained theologian, Mike has served in many gospel ventures.
He has been a church pastor, chaplain, seminary vice-president,
Christian school principal, and creation evangelist. These roles have
built up an expertise in Mike’s ability to help people discover the true
essence of the Bible and how to make it apply in everyday life.