Geneva's Blog

Good evening, highly capable Readers,

Let’s talk potential. I’m excited about this one, so grab those mugs of tea (unless it’s morning time for you, then, by all means, grab the coffee!), and buckle in.

What is potential? Promise. Untapped abilities. The capability to do something or be someone you can’t quite see yet. Maybe you’re like me and have no problem at all believing in your own potential. I feel very confident in my ability to do just about anything. This may not be a justified attitude, but my default mode is (over?) confidence. The thing is, I’m not wrong. I do have the potential. It’s the practical part where you must be consistent and disciplined and relentless to develop that potential into reality where I have occasionally and embarrassingly failed. Just ask me about my Ironman attempt sometime *facepalm*.

On the other hand, you might be more like my husband, who although he is one of the most naturally gifted people I know as well as being well-disciplined, he constantly and dramatically underestimates his own potential. And it seems that this is not uncommon. If this is you, listen to me for a minute.

God made humans incredibly capable and impressive beings. Let’s take a look at a few things we’ve done. The Egyptian pyramids were huge structures made of limestone and granite, weighing a stupid number of tons. Even though these were prehistoric times and they only had access to simple tools, the Egyptians were able to put joints between the stones that were finer than a razor blade, with the sides very precisely pointed north, south, east, and west. Additionally, they had the structural integrity to last literally thousands of years and still be standing today. Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel features over 300 figures and spans over 500 square meters and yet it is known for its unprecedented precision. When Dr. Jonas Salk and his associates developed the vaccine for polio during the pandemic that had paralyzed tens of thousands in the U.S. alone, they refused to patent it, saying that it belonged to the people. Last year a Japanese company introduced a spoon that produces a mild electric current that makes your brain think that your tongue is tasting salt in your food, meaning that you can go low-sodium without sacrificing the flavor you enjoy. You think these people had incredible, God-given talents to make all these things possible? Of course they did, just like you. You know what the difference is between potential and talent on the level of Yo-Yo Ma’s abilities? A LOT of practice. I’m not saying we can all be world famous cellists or baseball stars, etc. I am saying that whatever potential you have, you need to be willing to invest in it to make it become a meaningful reality. I am saying that God creates masterpieces. There is not one of us who is not wildly gifted and capable.

This can start to feel big and overwhelming fast. How do you even start to figure out which things to focus on, which particular abilities you possess that are applicable to your Assignment, and what kind of obligation you have to make improvements in that area? Then – once you’ve got that piece of your life figured out – how exactly are you supposed to go about using your unique set of abilities to carry out a positive impact in the world?

This is where the passion that we talked about in Post Two (I know, I need to get more creative with my post titles) comes in and gives us somewhere to focus. What was that passion of yours? Does it feel too big to wrap your arms around? Good. We don’t need to try to limit our success because we haven’t grown into our faith yet. These gifts we’re supposed to be using are God’s creation, not ours so let’s not sell them short in some misguided attempt at humility. What does that passion need you to do? Learn a new skill? Call up 50 of your closest friends to gain some support? Pitch in on a project you’re not sure how you can contribute to? Start a blog? Yikes. What needs to happen? Let’s take inventory – what do you have at your disposal that could contribute?

The other thing to consider when evaluating which potential needs to be realized is what purpose it would serve. If this is only about our own success, that is not enough. Obviously, success is not a bad thing, but it is a byproduct, not a goal in its own right. Our purpose needs to include serving others. Is researching a cure for cancer serving others? Of course. Is cooking really good food serving others? Absolutely. If you plan to share. Teaching? Yes. Construction? Yes. Creating art? Yes. If your goal is to serve others by developing your potential in an area you’re passionate about, it sounds like you’re working on the right assignment.

One last thought on this. I think we often get distracted from our own potential contributions because we believe lies about our own value and/or abilities. According to 2 Corinthians 5:7, we are supposed to live by faith, not by sight, correct? This means we acknowledge that there is a whole lot more going on besides what we see here on the physical surface of things. We are living in a spiritual war zone that we can’t see. We may see evidence of it, but we don’t always realize what we are seeing. The Evil One knows how important and valuable each of us are and that we all have a part to play in this war. I truly believe that he takes delight in neutralizing us by telling us lies like “you’re not talented enough”, “nobody cares what you think”, “you’ll never be able to make a real difference”, or “you are too broken/weak/messed up to do anything important”. Those are tough things to hear in your thoughts, and we often don’t realize that they are being fed to us. We think it’s just reality. Thankfully the truth we can speak to that is given to us in multiple places throughout the God’s word. For example, when you are deciding if you should turn that potential of yours into reality or not, read 2 Timothy 1:7, For I did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. THAT is the truth to trust, not the lies that say we don’t matter. We do. You do.

So, what are we going to do? What are we going to treat with more reverence and action? The devil’s lies or God’s gifts?

Let me know your thoughts! Have a different perspective? See something I missed? Have a question about something I said? Think I need to put more effort into the website design? Leave me a comment below to let me know you’re there. Thanks for your time, talk to you again soon!