God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who works in and through all of us.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 LB)

Very few of the 5 billion people on this planet will ever maximize the full potential that God has placed inside them. Most people live mediocre lives. The full extent of their capabilities and talents go untapped. They are not even aware of the tremendous potential they possess.

What is “potential”? It is your unused strengths. Your hidden talents. Your untapped abilities. Your dormant talents. Your capped capabilities.

There is a great wealth of potential within you. But you must decide if you will deprive the world or bless the world with those gifts that are locked away inside you.

If you decide that you do want to release your potential, the next step is to understand the principles God has established for unlocking potential. Miles Munroe, a minister in the Bahamas, has identified 10 keys to unlocking potential:

  1. You must establish a relationship with God — the source of your potential.
  2. You must understand how God made you to function: by faith and by love.
  3. You must know your purpose in life (your potential was given for just that).
  4. You must identify the resources that help unlock your potential.
  5. You must know and find or create the right environment you need to function at your peak performance level. Part of this is daily contact with God.
  6. You must realize that potential is expressed through hard work.
  7. You must cultivate your potential. Fertilize it like a seed.
  8. You must guard your potential — from laziness, distractions, and compromise.
  9. You must share your potential. No potential exists for itself.
  10. You must understand and cooperate with the limitations God has placed on your potential. Remember, you’re not God! When you violate these limitations, your potential actually decreases.

Your potential is God’s gift to you. He expects you to use it!

Talk About It

In what ways are you working toward your potential using your strengths and abilities?

Think of a time when you believed you were reaching your potential in work, at home, or in life. What was God doing in that moment? What were the factors that helped you function at your best?

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