Potential's Burden
We were made in his likeness, created in His image, truly placed here to praise the Lord.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
For many this verse is so foundational. We first hear that God loves ME so much that He sent his son to die for ME. He pursued Me. We almost feel like God is saying "you are kind of a big deal sis!" This couldn't be farther from the truth.
We have so many things going for us. We have so much potential. We've all heard or said that in regard to someone else. We see a young athlete and we say "he's got so much potential. That kid has so much going for him." We look at potential in the positive. Potential is defined as that which is possible, existence of possibility, or capable of developing into actuality. You and I have so much potential. Therein lies the burden.
How many times do we see a wayward child of God or a lost soul and acclaim "They have got so much potential if they would only surrended to God." It is possible for God to get glory from their lives if they will surrender. This way of viewing potential feels negative to us, but this is correct mindset. The athlete who has everything going has nothing burdening them at present...except themselves. Will they work hard and become a famous legend one day? Will they work out so fiercely that they earn the spot on the team they are after? Will THEY or will God?
The burden with having potential is that we look to self to accomplish goals and we use this mindset to gauge success. Then we see the burden through this view. The athlete who has everything going for him and is oozing with potential may be a manic depressive behind closed doors. He may be afraid he will go back to his old habits that led him to become addicted to alcohol or drugs. The burden with having potential is that potential is measured by humans, not by God. Yes, he may have the ability to become great, but it is self and circumstance that could also prevent such from becoming.
Potential's burden is evident when we have spiritual gifts and talents and we grasp these jobs, committee titles, and leadership roles so tightly that we refuse to let God use the talents he gave us, for His glory. The burden with being human is that we depend on humanity for our self worth. Do I have enough friends? Have I been unfriended? Am I talked about behind my back? Am I thin enough? Am I a good enough Christian? Let these questions sink down in the marrow. You may not speak these words but I doubt highly that your actions sing a different song at some point.
Having potential is a human mindset. Philippians 4:13 says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Unless God gives me strength to do something- I am nothing. Unless God wants to initiate greatness in this vessel, for His glory, I am nothing. John 3:16 should tell each of us that we are nothing.
God loves us so much, because HE created us, that HE allowed His son to die so that we, in our miserable sin infected lives, might get the mercy to be with HIm and not suffer hell. John 3:16 isn't about you and me and how awesome we are, so awesome that we perceive that God let Jesus die to save us. How precious we teach the young ones that this verse is. This verse is God's profession that because of sin He gave His son. Anyone lining up to give their son for ungrateful heathens dressed up in pretty trappings?
Jesus had to die. And it's my fault and yours. Do we have potential in God's eyes? No doubt. But it's His potential. It's for His glory. It's so that we can be used by Him to reach a lost and dying world.
Potential's burden is you and me. Every minute of the day. How easily we forget that God didn't make us for each other. He made us for Himself. He wants to delight in us. He wants to bless us. He wants to commune with us. The burden with this is that we try too hard to be "enough" in God's eyes. If you want to be a good enough Christian here's the way to do so- quit trying. Stop. Wave the white flag in retreat. Yell - Uncle!
You can't read enough. You can't pray enough. You can't even quote the Bible enough. Guess what- you are enough. Because He is enough.
Christianity is a lifestyle. Not a Sunday special in which households across America cuss and fuss while getting ready to go to church and look nice and smile big when they arrive. Churches everywhere are full of those. They watch movies and TV programs with infidelity, homosexuality, and unrighteous content. They pop pills and diet to extremes to be enough for each other. They listen to music that sparks a feeling from an old flame while sitting beside their spouse. Christianity has become all about us. It's sick really. I couldn't dry heave enough to get the bitter taste of self absorption out of my mouth each time I read scripture and see how much more reverence and humility God deserves from us. If you don't want to follow Christ even unto the death of your own life, then don't. If you don't want to read your Bible daily and take in precious conversation God left for us, then don't. If you don't want to respect God for who He is and put Him in His proper place, then don't. But don't you claim to be a Christ follower if you aren't willing to realize that the burden is the potential you see in yourself.
Look through God's eyes. He didn't want His son to die. He simply knew we loved ourselves too much to be able to do what it would've otherwise taken for us to get back to Him.
John 3:16. For God so loved me that He gave his only begotten son that if I would believe in Him (give my life for Him and die to myself daily because He is worth it) I would not perish but have everlasting life.
Translation- God sent His son to the cross to die for me because I couldn't have handled it. Bonus- He also made a way for me to live forever.
Now let me ask- does our half hearted Christianity reverence this act of mercy? Let's get after it. It's time to stop living for us and give ourselves to God. Do we not know we have never been the one in control?
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
For many this verse is so foundational. We first hear that God loves ME so much that He sent his son to die for ME. He pursued Me. We almost feel like God is saying "you are kind of a big deal sis!" This couldn't be farther from the truth.
We have so many things going for us. We have so much potential. We've all heard or said that in regard to someone else. We see a young athlete and we say "he's got so much potential. That kid has so much going for him." We look at potential in the positive. Potential is defined as that which is possible, existence of possibility, or capable of developing into actuality. You and I have so much potential. Therein lies the burden.
How many times do we see a wayward child of God or a lost soul and acclaim "They have got so much potential if they would only surrended to God." It is possible for God to get glory from their lives if they will surrender. This way of viewing potential feels negative to us, but this is correct mindset. The athlete who has everything going has nothing burdening them at present...except themselves. Will they work hard and become a famous legend one day? Will they work out so fiercely that they earn the spot on the team they are after? Will THEY or will God?
The burden with having potential is that we look to self to accomplish goals and we use this mindset to gauge success. Then we see the burden through this view. The athlete who has everything going for him and is oozing with potential may be a manic depressive behind closed doors. He may be afraid he will go back to his old habits that led him to become addicted to alcohol or drugs. The burden with having potential is that potential is measured by humans, not by God. Yes, he may have the ability to become great, but it is self and circumstance that could also prevent such from becoming.
Potential's burden is evident when we have spiritual gifts and talents and we grasp these jobs, committee titles, and leadership roles so tightly that we refuse to let God use the talents he gave us, for His glory. The burden with being human is that we depend on humanity for our self worth. Do I have enough friends? Have I been unfriended? Am I talked about behind my back? Am I thin enough? Am I a good enough Christian? Let these questions sink down in the marrow. You may not speak these words but I doubt highly that your actions sing a different song at some point.
Having potential is a human mindset. Philippians 4:13 says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Unless God gives me strength to do something- I am nothing. Unless God wants to initiate greatness in this vessel, for His glory, I am nothing. John 3:16 should tell each of us that we are nothing.
God loves us so much, because HE created us, that HE allowed His son to die so that we, in our miserable sin infected lives, might get the mercy to be with HIm and not suffer hell. John 3:16 isn't about you and me and how awesome we are, so awesome that we perceive that God let Jesus die to save us. How precious we teach the young ones that this verse is. This verse is God's profession that because of sin He gave His son. Anyone lining up to give their son for ungrateful heathens dressed up in pretty trappings?
Jesus had to die. And it's my fault and yours. Do we have potential in God's eyes? No doubt. But it's His potential. It's for His glory. It's so that we can be used by Him to reach a lost and dying world.
Potential's burden is you and me. Every minute of the day. How easily we forget that God didn't make us for each other. He made us for Himself. He wants to delight in us. He wants to bless us. He wants to commune with us. The burden with this is that we try too hard to be "enough" in God's eyes. If you want to be a good enough Christian here's the way to do so- quit trying. Stop. Wave the white flag in retreat. Yell - Uncle!
You can't read enough. You can't pray enough. You can't even quote the Bible enough. Guess what- you are enough. Because He is enough.
Christianity is a lifestyle. Not a Sunday special in which households across America cuss and fuss while getting ready to go to church and look nice and smile big when they arrive. Churches everywhere are full of those. They watch movies and TV programs with infidelity, homosexuality, and unrighteous content. They pop pills and diet to extremes to be enough for each other. They listen to music that sparks a feeling from an old flame while sitting beside their spouse. Christianity has become all about us. It's sick really. I couldn't dry heave enough to get the bitter taste of self absorption out of my mouth each time I read scripture and see how much more reverence and humility God deserves from us. If you don't want to follow Christ even unto the death of your own life, then don't. If you don't want to read your Bible daily and take in precious conversation God left for us, then don't. If you don't want to respect God for who He is and put Him in His proper place, then don't. But don't you claim to be a Christ follower if you aren't willing to realize that the burden is the potential you see in yourself.
Look through God's eyes. He didn't want His son to die. He simply knew we loved ourselves too much to be able to do what it would've otherwise taken for us to get back to Him.
John 3:16. For God so loved me that He gave his only begotten son that if I would believe in Him (give my life for Him and die to myself daily because He is worth it) I would not perish but have everlasting life.
Translation- God sent His son to the cross to die for me because I couldn't have handled it. Bonus- He also made a way for me to live forever.
Now let me ask- does our half hearted Christianity reverence this act of mercy? Let's get after it. It's time to stop living for us and give ourselves to God. Do we not know we have never been the one in control?
