Moving from Potential to Potent

I've coached youth soccer for many years....first, it was my daughter Emily's teams, in PA and IL, and most recently, Caroline's teams here in Asheville. If there was a common belief among most parents somewhere along the way, it was that THEIR daughter had the potential for greatness. Some parents even believed that their child was already there! Simply put, potential suggests that there is some high level of untapped (but available) talent which is just waiting to come out - and most parents expect the coach to be just that conduit through which the talent flows! When their kids made it through a season and never really lived up to the expectations of the parents, it was often a "coaching" problem....and sometimes kids were moved to a new team in search of that elusive coach who could maximize or un-tap the potential. At some point, everyone realizes that the "potential" a parent saw in their child never really materializes. Reality sets in. So what sets those who merely have potential apart from those who live up to their potential?

It's a combination of things....hard work, someone willing to invest in you, and some level of innate talent. Mostly though, it's your willingness to pay the dues which others are often unwilling to pay. If you reach age 40 and people are still talking about your "potential", it's generally a sign that you should find some other pursuit. I've met so many runners over the years who tell me that they would LOVE to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but never believe they could do it. While there are those who may never be truly CAPABLE, most of the folks are just not willing to invest the time and prepare - paying the price through preparation may not always ensure potency, but it's going you that much closer to realizing the dream.

How often do we fail to reach our God-given potential as Christ-followers because we aren't willing to pay the price? He's given us the gifts and so often surrounds us with people who are willing to invest in us so that we might become truly POTENT followers who attract others to Him. There is simply no greater Purpose or calling. But we must prepare, we must be willing to pay the price, and we must act. If we belong to God,and if other people know it, they will be evaluating God by what they see in us. This means we need to work diligently and at a higher level than others.....Ephesians 2:10 reminds us;

"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. "

BELIEVE and DO!