Why Potential Doesn't Equal Success

Do you often find yourself thinking about all the potential you have in life? How many disappointments have you experienced inyour life even though had great potential? You may have an advantage with your potential but is your success guaranteed?


Why Potential Doesn't Equal Success
Daniel Darling

I had a friend who hated to hear the dreaded, "P-word." To him, "potential" meant one thing: You're messing your life up, why won’t you get it in line?

He would say to me, "I’m tired of people saying I have potential and that I can do better. It would be so much easier if I didn't have any potential. There would be no pressure."

My friend, who later exceeded expectations by becoming a dynamic pastor of a large suburban church, hit the nail on the head.

With potential comes enormous pressure. Ask Solomon. Talk about potential; he was swimming in the stuff. His father, David, set up the nation of Israel in such a way that Solomon couldn't possibly fail. Then, the Lord made Solomon the wisest and richest man who ever lived.

Who could fail with that kind of a start?

Well, sadly, Solomon did fail. Sure, he built Israel into a superpower, he grew his wealth, he expanded the kingdom.

But as a spiritual and moral leader, he was an abysmal failure. As a result of his serial adultery, God eventually divided Israel into two kingdoms.

The question people ask is this. "How could someone like Solomon, who was given so much, fail?"

The answer? Potential doesn't equal success.

This is a pattern that's repeated today in Christian homes and schools across the country. Research indicates that somewhere around 80 percent of evangelical teens walk away from the faith when they get to college.

How can teens—who have been given so much from their Christian parents, good churches, and godly examples—chuck it all in favor of the temporary pleasures of sin?

The answer? Potential doesn't equal success.

What plagued Solomon—and what plagues Christian young people—is a failure to internalize faith, to make it their own. Instead, they are content to rest on the fervency of their parents or their pastor or their church. But this kind of hand-me-down experience won't survive the rigors of college, the workforce, and marriage.

The key to success in the Christian life is not what you've been given, but what you do with the opportunities God offers you. Solomon had a lot going for him and failed.

Contrast that with Joseph, who grew up in a dysfunctional family, was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and was falsely accused of rape.

Joseph had very little potential, and yet he succeeded.

Our all-powerful God has blessed each one of us differently. We all possess different gifts, talents, and passions. We all have different backgrounds, family situations, and heritages. These are things you cannot control. These are advantages or disadvantages you did not choose.

What you can control is how you choose to live your life. Will you squander what God has given you, or will you use it for His glory? Will you lament your station in life or will you make the most of every situation?

You can have potential without any success. You can have success without any potential. You can also have potential and success.
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Daniel Darling is the author of Teen People of the Bible. Visit him at danieldarling.com.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen. Read more!

Issue # 44 - Winning when you lose

Today’s blog has been stirred up from the conduct and actions of a notable superstar athlete. The reactions of this athlete had a lot of people talking and had left a sour taste in the mouth’s of many crying bad sportsmanship.

It was brought about by the loss and elimination of this athletes team. Hasn’t he lost before? Yes. So what makes this loss more disturbing than the others? What actually happened was Lebron James left the basketball court after his teams loss without greeting the winning team or speaking to anyone, hence today’s subject.

How do you react in your time of loss? Are you able to maintain a good and positive attitude towards others? The losses in your life is not to make you bitter but better. Every successful person has experienced loss at some time or the other. Do you have what it takes to congratulate someone else on their success or victory, especially when it happened against you.

This is where the greater victories takes place, when you conduct yourself in an appropriate manner after a loss.

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.
Sir Winston Churchill

Life will not always go your way. Always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Nobody likes to lose, its better to lose a game or things than lose a good name. The time and effort you have put into building your character and name is too much to just let slip away by some bad action or attitude.

So, what’s top priority for you? Is it about winning games to make you look good or winning in life that makes God look good. You should never aim for your name to be greater than His. When you take your life and make it count for Him you will be rewarded . “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it“. Matthew 10:39 (NLT)

God lost his Son to gain to gain the whole world. What is your lost going to bring you?


Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come
short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Read more!