Judges 6:15-16, “But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the least [significant] in Manasseh, and I am the youngest (smallest) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] one man.” (AMP)
There was a sign that read Antique Auto Show, so Rob and his wife decided that they’d take fifteen minutes and stop at this car dealership and look at the antique autos. They were really interested in seeing the ones that went back to the 50s and 60s. And as they continued looking, there was this one car that stood out amongst all the rest. It was a sleek, black ’66 Mustang that had a flawless exterior, a rich interior, and the hood was even open so you could look at the horsepower underneath. However, there, sitting on the engine block, was a thick book of photos. And it wasn’t the guy’s wife, children or grandchildren. But it was his car! And at the beginning of this photo album there were BEFORE pictures of the car. Let me tell you, it was trash when he started! The first pictures were of this rusted, wrecked, banged-up Mustang that no one in their right mind would claim as their property! Come to find out, it was the car he bought. And as you looked through the book, step by step you could see the car was slowly being Transformed. It took months, maybe years for the owner to give patient attention to get this beautiful classic to where it stood now before them. I believe that when the owner saw that wreck, he saw more than a wreck. He actually saw something that others didn’t see. What he saw was Potential.
Well, that leads us straight to Judges 6. God is looking for a general for His troops, someone who will be a mighty commander and beat the Midianites who have intimidated and terrorized the Israelites for years. And He speaks to Gideon in verses 11-12, “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, MIGHTY WARRIOR.” (NIV).
And what was Gideon’s response? Verse 13 reads, “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (NIV).
However, verses 14-16 declare, “The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” But Gideon said to Him, “Please Lord, how am I to rescue Israel? Behold, my family is the LEAST [SIGNIFICANT] in Manasseh, and I am the YOUNGEST (SMALLEST) in my father’s house.” The Lord answered him, “I will certainly be with you, and YOU will strike down the Midianites as [if they were only] ONE MAN.”” (AMP).
Okay, here is Gideon. He’s hiding in a pit. He doesn’t look like a mighty warrior…at all. And God comes along and says, “Mighty warrior!” Surely, you’re thinking just like I’m thinking, this is no mighty warrior! But God didn’t see what Gideon WAS. He saw what he COULD BE, what he WOULD BE and what He intended to MAKE HIM. And that’s the very same place where many of us mess up and get stuck at! We get so consumed by where we ARE, and where we’re NOT; who we ARE, and who we’re NOT; what we CAN and what we CAN’T do. That we never consider a vision from God’s point of view. I find it absolutely amazing that BEFORE Gideon does anything, God calls him a “Mighty Warrior”, IN ADVANCE! Unlike us, God doesn’t get stuck in what we ARE, but His focus remains on what we CAN BE! And so God speaks contrary to Gideon. Gideon sees someone insignificant, unimportant, irrelevant, small even, yet God sees him as a “Mighty Warrior”! Question: How do you see yourself? How do you speak to and about yourself? What do you see for yourself? Do you consider yourself “mighty”? Gifted? Smart? Beautiful? Well, in case you don’t, I’ve stopped by to inform you that you need to check your eyesight! Situations and circumstances should never distort how you see yourself, because they certainly do not distort how God sees you! No matter what your marital status is, how many children you have, you don’t have or that you’ve aborted or miscarried. No matter your education, employment, ethnicity, or back ground. No matter what your father was, what your mother did, you are still a “mighty warrior” in the eyes of God…NOW it’s time that you see yourself the very same way. Stop spending so much time focusing on what you’ve done or left undone that you become stagnate between the two. There’s so much more to you then yesterday. Today is a new day and with it needs to come a new outlook on your life, despite your mistakes, flaws, failures, bad decisions, errors in judgment and the like.
Just look at Peter.
Same thing happened with Peter. Matthew 16:13-19, “When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. AND NOW I’M GOING TO TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE, REALLY ARE. YOU ARE PETER, A ROCK. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven…” (MSG)
I imagine when people heard this they said, “Did He just say Peter? He’s not a rock!” Truth is, when he came to Jesus he was sort of a flake. He was always up and down and inconsistent. But Jesus saw the rock He was going to make him into. And that’s the problem with us, we remember (and certainly everybody else remembers) how bad we’ve messed up, what we did, when we did it, who we did it with, how often we did it, where and why, and YET, Jesus looks beyond our hard heads and still sees a Rock! How awesome to know that regardless of how messy we’ve been, God still sees a masterpiece in us! In fact, He looks at us the way that Mustang owner saw that banged-up car. He sees the value in us more than we do. He knows the person He created us to be. And in God’s words, “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP [HIS OWN MASTER WORK, A WORK OF ART], CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS [REBORN FROM ABOVE-SPIRITUALLY TRANSFORMED, RENEWED, READY TO BE USED] FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED [FOR US] BEFOREHAND [TAKING PATHS WHICH HE SET], SO THAT WE WOULD WALK IN THEM [LIVING THE GOOD LIFE WHICH HE PREARRANGED AND MADE READY FOR US].” (Ephesians 2:8-10 AMP) Even as messed up and banged up as we were, God still saw in us “…HIS WORKMANSHIP, HIS OWN MASTER WORK, A WORK OF ART…”
How can you possibly view yourself as junk, when God Himself sees you as “…A WORK OF ART…”? YES EVEN YOU!
Like the Mustang owner, God’s photo album shows where you were and His step-by-step rebuilding.
See, if you believe how God sees you, then there are some important changes in how life should look to you. First, when you’re down about who you are, look back at the old pictures. Look at what you used to be. You’re becoming something aren’t you? Remember what you used to do, how you used to act, where you used to be, and see where you are now. No, you haven’t made it all the way yet, but neither has any of us! So learn to celebrate where you are, and where you’re heading, knowing that God sees the Best in you always!
Psalm 103:6-18, “God makes everything come out right; He puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about His work, opened up His plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, He’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is His love to those who fear Him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, He has separated us from our sins…” (MSG) So, stop holding your past and mistakes over your own head, when they’re under God’s feet! He remembers them no more, now it’s time that you do the very same thing!
Today is a good day to move forward! A good day to start over fresh without yesterday’s baggage! Your problems don’t hinder your potential. It’s still there. God sees it, and so should you!
Second, when you’re down on yourself, realize you’re not finished yet! The rebuilder is in the process! Look at it like this, have you ever taken the time to look at a construction site? It’s an absolute mess! There’s dust, dirt, debris, everywhere! Nothing is together, nor does anything look anywhere near what the blueprint suggests it should! There are people in hard hats, dirty clothes, they’re sweating, tired, yelling, there’s signs of danger up everywhere because the site isn’t finished yet! And even at the end of the day when they go home, they don’t forget about the site! They come back the next day and work some more. Why? Because what’s on blueprint has to become a building! And God is no different with you! You may not look like much in the eyes of some, or even in your own view. But God is still at work! Daily He’s making you better! Daily He’s adding, subtracting and dividing just so you can be multiplied in the end. Daily what you are to become is seen more and more by many! So stop fretting yourself and judging yourself by what you see today! God isn’t finished yet, but He’s promised He will! The Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” (AMP). You have God’s Word that He will finish what He’s started in you so don’t you dare consider giving up in the middle of the process again! Can you imagine if after day one on a construction site that the construction workers said, ‘that’s it, I quit! I refuse to work on this project any longer. We’ve been working at this thing all day and into the evening and still it looks nothing like the blueprint!” Listen: Any building that goes up in one day, is guaranteed to come down in one day! There’s a reason construction is such a slow process. The foundation is the most vital to be established and you can’t rush foundation! The wiring is essential, the plumbing is important, walls, floors and ceilings need great attention to detail. And why is all of this significant? Because if it’s not done right, somebodies going to be severely hurt! And that’s what happens when people attempt to rush God’s process of rebuilding for their lives. They want to run out and preach, teach, prophecy, travel the country, lay hands and overseer mega ministries. And yet, they want to do all of that without being properly processed! The end result, they hurt themselves and everyone attached to them because they rushed a process that needed proper timing to be fully established!
1 Peter 5:10, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself COMPLETE, CONFIRM, STRENGTHEN, AND ESTABLISH YOU [MAKING YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE].” (AMP)
Listen, I get it, it’s been some years now and you’re still wondering God what is going on?! Please believe me, your God does not have Dementia! Your God does not have Alzheimer’s! He remembers every word He spoke to you and about you and every single word will come to pass, in season! Let God finish the work He started without your doubt delaying it’s development!
And third, when you’re dealing with other people, look for and encourage the person God is building in them. Be part of His rebuilding project in their life. Tell people what they could be. Tell them the good you see in them – the potential. You see, the word “potential” is defined as “having the capacity to develop into something in the future; qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.” And to take it a step further, its Latin Origin “potentialis,” from “potentia” literally means “power”. People of God, no matter how bad off a person may be, they still have potential, they still have the power to become better! So don’t judge them, don’t put your negative mouth on them, don’t keep bringing up their past! Like You, they still have the power to become more! I’m here to tell you from personal experience, there’s nothing worse than an individual holding another person hostage by their past. Let them grow, evolve, and change for the better…in their time, in God’s time, not yours! So back off a bit! Give them space and room, just like you needed!
You see, when you take dirt and throw it on a fire it’s called “smothering”. In throwing dirt on a fire you smother it, you extinguish it, which means you stifle or suffocate it, you cut off the air and prevent it from breathing, which prevents it from growing. That’s what you do to people when you keep harping on them for their mistakes. You smother them! You suck the life right out of them. You hinder them from glowing and growing. Stop It! Even embers that have dimmed down, are still hot to the touch! They just need a little stoking. And so do people! To “stoke” is to “encourage, incite, or add to”. And that’s all most people need to find their potential again. They just need someone that will see past their Gideon and see a “mighty warrior”; they need someone who will see past their Peter and see a “rock”. And often stoking doesn’t take much. You would be absolutely amazed at the fire that could return from just a few empowering pokes of encouragement. “I believe in you; I’m proud of you; you’re doing great; keep pressing; don’t give up; you can do this; you’re getting better; look how strong you’ve become; look how much wisdom that taught you…” Try it on someone today and you’ll be just like Peter: “but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT YOUR BROTHERS [IN THE FAITH].” (Luke 22:32 AMP). That’s what we should all do daily, as God betters us, we should help others get better too!
Think about it like this: Can you imagine the mental stress it would put on players if they were in their own home-court advantage, yet their own fans boo them the whole game?! Even when they’re winning, all they hear is a constant stream of boo’s! Would you be encouraged by that? Then why do it to others? Realize that people are trying their best, and many after several losing games, are still coming back again and again, giving it everything they’ve got. Don’t smother their future success with the ashes of their past failures! Encourage your brothers and sisters so that their faith and hope stay intact in the process! Let them know that you’ve got them covered! That you have their back! That you’re on their team! That you believe in them! Isn’t that what you would want to Receive? Then Give it! You can’t expect to throw dirt on someone else’s potential and think that God is going to allow you to grow from it!
Like the Classic Mustang in the above story, we ALL have a beginning that we’re not so proud of. We all of chapters in our book of life that we don’t read aloud or share with anyone else. We all have flaws, mistakes, and failures. We’ve all made bad decisions and judgements. We’ve all fallen far short of God’s grace, characteristics, standards and mark. And yet in His eyes, we’re still a masterpiece! It takes time to take mess and make it a masterpiece, but God is willing to put the time in. So, no more complaining about yourself (or others). Let God complete the work He began. Enjoy the step-by-step process. And when you get a moment, just reflect back over your life, and see just how far God has already brought you. You may be more inclined to ease up on yourself and others. Your potential is still intact, just wait and watch God produce something powerful with it!
“God’s plan is always the best. Sometimes the process is painful and hard. But don’t forget that when God is silent, He’s doing something for you.” (Author Unknown)
“Trust the process. Once you have prayed, let it go. Have faith that God heard you the first time, and is working on your prayer right now.” (Author Unknown)
“God’s purpose and process are tied together.” (Author Unknown)
“God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and He has a great plan and purpose for your life.” (Joel Osteen)
“Don’t squander your potential living a life that amounts to far less than the one you are capable of living.” (Zero Dean)
“Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. All of us have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out.” (Joyce Meyer)
“The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.” (Jim Rohn)
“There is no man living who isn’t capable to doing more than he thinks he can do.” (Henry Ford)
“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” (President Abraham Lincoln)
“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” (John Maxwell)
“There is no heavier burden than an unfulfilled potential.” (Charles Schulz)
“Look past the exterior, and see that there is so much more within. Then decide to unleash that potential to the fullest.” (Lincoln Patz)
“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” (Author Unknown)
“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential.” (Winston Churchill)
“People who repeatedly attack your confidence and self-esteem are quite aware of your potential even if you are not.” (Author Unknown)
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” (Wilma Rudolph)
“Each person has the potential of making a positive impact on the world. It all depends on what you do with what you have.” (Gary Chapman)
“Most of your potential is trapped behind other people’s opinions. Some of those people love you, they just don’t understand you. The other group don’t want to see you win and they’re hoping their opinions will hold you back. Neither group’s opinion matters more than your own.” (Author Unknown)
“Your potential is endless. Go do what you were created to do.” (Author Unknown)
“Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.” (Anthony Robbins)
“To unlock your potential in anything you do is going to require practice, consistency and patience.” (Simeon Panda)
“We are all strangers to our hidden potential until we confront problems that reveal our capabilities.” (Apoorve Dubey)
“You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.” (Rumi)
“A strong woman knows that she has the potential to shine in this world, but true strength lies in her ability to lay down her life so that God can shine through her.” (Darlene Schacht)
“Potential means nothing if you don’t do anything with it.” (Author Unknown)
“Your potential will haunt you until you take steps towards realizing it.” (Author Unknown)
“Action breeds potential; potential changes the world.” (Jordan Ring)
“True success is reaching our potential without compromising our values.” (Muhammad Ali)
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.” (Goethe)
“There lies within each person a huge reservoir of untapped potential for achievement, success, and happiness.” (Jim Rohn)
“Focus on the possibilities for success, not on the potential for failure.” (Napolean Hill)
“It takes drive and focus to move from potential to reality.” (Author Unknown)
“People don’t get promoted for doing their jobs really well. They get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more.” (Tara Jaye Frank)
“Maybe this year…we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives not looking for flaws, but for potential.” (Ellen Goodman)
“Difficulties in your life don’t come to destroy you, but to help you realize your hidden potential.” (Author Unknown)
“Discipline is the key to unlocking your true potential.” (Author Unknown)
“It’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.” (President Barack Obama)
“You have the potential for greatness.” (Steve Harvey)
“Greatness is more than potential. It is the execution of that potential. Beyond the raw talent. You need the appropriate training. You need the discipline. You need the inspiration. You need the drive.” (Eric A. Burns)
“God never loses sight of our eternal potential, even when we do.” (Carole M. Stephens)
“Once I got a glimpse of my potential, the desire to be great was born.” (Andre Ferguson)
“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” (Bill Bradley)
“It’s not enough to just have potential. You also need to know what to do with it.” (Susan Gale)
“Everyday has the potential to be the greatest day of your life.” (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
“To reach your greatest potential you’ll have to fight your greatest fears.” (Author Unknown)
“If you really want to live your life to the fullest and realize your greatest potential, you must be willing to run the risk of making some people mad. People may not like what you do, people may not like how you do it, but these people are not living your life. You are.” (Iyanla Vanzant)
“No one lacks potential. You can lack will or skill, but everyone has potential.” (Author Unknown)
“Fear and self-doubt have always been the greatest enemies of human potential.” (Brian Tracy)
“You’re so busy doubting yourself while so many others are intimidated by your potential.” (Author Unknown)
“Our Heavenly Father knows our divine potential. He rejoices every time we take a step forward.” (Larry R. Lawrence)
“Acknowledging you have areas to work is not an admission of failure; it is an admission that you have more potential.” (Carrie Cheadle)
“Mediocrity is living below our known, true potential.” (Dr. Myles Munroe)
“Your potential is the sum of all the possibilities God has for your life.” (Charles Stanley)
“Your God-Given potential is far too great to ever dare to bargain for anything less than a victorious life. Therefore, it’s time to rise to the challenge and push beyond your fears and doubts.” (Edmond Mbiaka)
“Every day, I wake up with one goal; to make sure our children and generations yet unborn will reach their God-Given potential and that the future we are creating is a brighter one for every child.” (Representative Elijah Cummings)
Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWord
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