It takes confidence to take words and structure them into a book. I’m so happy to share from my book, Potential today.
My favorite story in the Bible is how the people of God find themselves enslaved and Moses takes them into their potential. My takeaway from this account is, just like God promised them a destiny, He’s promised you one. This history is a map of the road we all have to take. Before you were visible you were invisible. God knit you together in the womb and you were created for significance, with potential.
Moses is like my uncle. My uncle began as a carry out boy and ended up as ceo and chairman of the board of Kroger. Moses was born as a baby, into a family of slaves. His mother placed him in a basket on the Nile, praying for God to protect him. He was adopted by the princess of Eqypt and was raised a prince. He messed up, killed an Egyptian and fled to the desert, to nowhere. He became nobody. But God. God leads him back to the people of Israel to fulfill his destiny.
In Exodus 3, Moses is in the middle of no place nowhere and far from the palace where he was raised when he heard God call “Moses, Moses”. God knew his name. Even after his failure. God knows your name. You were intentionally created., He calls out to you to pursue what He called you to be. He has a plan for you. He calls you by name and finds you, in the place of nobody just like He did with Moses. God speaks to us and we know when He’s talking to us. It’s amazing when we hear Him.
How do you respond when God taps you on the shoulder to remind you of your destiny? Maybe you’ve forgotten. I played basketball and was planning to coach. Soon after I married my wife, God called me to pastor. I had volunteered to teach the youth at my church in Arkansas. I’d never taught anything, but sensed God nudging me. Like Moses Steph and I heard our names called. When we were obedient, He transformed us and prepared us for the vocation of ministry. That was the beginning of life transformation. He gave me a heart for young people and set me on my course.
As you answer God’s call, you will find there are enemies and allies to fulfill your potential. Enemies include:
- Discouragement and disappointment. God tells Moses to tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”. He goes back to Egypt, tells Israelites God is sending him with a message for Pharaoh and they are all in. Moses approached Pharaoh with great confidence and gave him the message and Pharaoh responded by making the Jew’s work harder. Moses crumbled in defeat. The Israelites hated Moses for this. Did you ever feel this way? You were obedient, gave it your all and were met with what appeared to be failure. It can be depressing, discouraging, and frustrating. “I thought I was doing what you wanted me to do! Now things are worse.” Disappointment pushes us back where we were instead of into our future.
- Fear sets in. In this story of Exodus, they finally are released by Pharaoh after devastating plagues. Pharaoh tells them “Go!!”. The Egyptians load them up with treasures and they’re on their way after hundreds of years. But, as they’re going, they end up boxed in between the Red Sea in front and the Egyptian army behind. Pharaoh had changed his mind and followed them.. The Israelites panic. Who in your life has moved toward you and you’ve panicked? For a pastor, it might be the banker. For another it may be a landlord, supervisor or boss. The Israelites freaked out, “Why’d you bring us out here to die!” They unleashed on Moses. It was because of fear.
- The desire for comfort is strong. It's hard to believe the Jews thought of the good old days when they were slaves. They began to think of the food they used to eat, missing the comfort they had as slaves!! We forget the good old days weren’t really that good. Comfort is alluring and attractive, but it deters us from pursuing our potential.
- Weariness sets in. Now the Israelits had a battle with the Amalekites on their hands. Moses discovered when his hands were raised with his staff, Joshua was winning the battle. When he got tired and dropped his hands, Joshua lost the advantage. Moses didn’t stop caring. He wanted to hold his hands up, but he couldn’t. Weariness causes us to lose focus on where we are going. It is so easy to give up the dream and sense of purpose and calling. Continue to pursue your dream. There’s more.
Allies to potential:
- Disappointment is defeated by perseverance. Moses went back to God and God told him to go back to Pharaoh. Moses wanted to give up and go back to his life in the desert. But, rather than do what he wanted, he persevered. You will get disappointed and discouraged. Choose to persevere. Everything you desire, all your dreams, the fulfillment of your potential, is on the other side of perseverance. Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy on the other side. Take the next step. Just don’t quit today. The enemy will lie to you, “Look how easy it was for them.” But it all requires perseverance. Don’t give up on what God spoke to you.
- Fear is conquered by action. The Israelites were trapped, afraid and whining! But God said, “You’ve got to stop whining and move! I’ve given you a promise.” The Word is powerful. Think about God's promise to you. What has he told you to do? He is not overwhelmed and He will keep the promises that He made. Take the next step. Courage is moving forward in the presence of fear. Stop planning and take action. God has it under control. He’s moving you toward his purpose for you.
- Embrace the pain. It’s part of the process to propel you into your potential. We always want the shortest route. That’s what the Israelites wanted, but they were led the round-about way through the wilderness. They left Egypt like an army, ready for battle and for the challenge. How can this be? The temptation is to sell out for comfort, but the round-about way is to prepare you and propel you into the next thing. Don’t give up. You’re a person prepared for destiny. If you’re following God, I promise you, you’ll get where He’s taking you. Success always travels through pain.
- Weariness is mastered by the encouragement of community. Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands. Moses was doing life in community. We need people who love us and can encourage us. We need to be reminded we’re unique. One is too small a number for greatness. But flesh pulls us to the ditch to be alone. Engage and do life with others. You will never be the spouse, the pastor, the leader of your potential if you try to do it yourself. Don’t make the most spiritual thing you do to be sitting in a chair on Sundays. Engage. Take the risk of allowing others to be a part of your life. There is a group of people who can benefit from you and who you can benefit from.
God thinks about you. He’s not finished with you. Pursue your potential.
