God’s Will is for Your Full Potential

By Aylah Bellile

As you get older, you will inevitably ask yourself, “Why Am I Here?” It is a question formed from the depth and soul of a mundane, routine life. This is a life that may cause you to declare like King Solomon did in Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NLT), “Everything is meaningless…completely meaningless!”

Therefore, this is not a question that is posed by an individual that is living his/her life to its fullest potential. Nonetheless, the question does provide the first step of achieving that potential. In fact, it was only after pondering the meaninglessness of life that King Solomon was able to state in Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14 (NLT), “Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” After his many experiences, King Solomon realized that the full potential of every human being is only realized when we are obedient to God’s will.

Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” God has a plan for each of our life. Moreover, Ephesians 3:21 indicates, “(God) is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” So theoretically it is quite simple, we achieve our fullest potential when we live in the will of God. However, applying this principle to our humdrum of a life is not quite as simple. Therefore, to get you started, I have summarized five ways to fulfill your potential in God and avoid pitfalls as read in a “Bible in One Year” commentary:

Possess humility – Depend solely on God not on self (Proverbs 3:5 and 6). Barack Obama stated, “It’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
Pursue intimacy – Develop and nurture a relationship with God. (Matthew 12:48-50). The working of the Holy Spirit will foster this intimate relationship. Jesus said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”
Put down roots – Plant yourself in the word of God (Matthew 13:5 and 6). As stated by Billy Graham, “A computer... has no worth unless it is programmed... The believer has tremendous potential, but that potential cannot be used until he is programmed with the Word of God.”
Protect your heart – Do not be distracted by the cares of the world. (Matthew 6:19-21 and 33). Daniel Goleman, an author and science journalist who reported on brain and behavioral sciences, indicated, “One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us.”
Purify yourself – Get rid of all the other ‘gods’ in your life (1 Corinthians 10:13 and 14). As the Psalmist David indicated in Psalm 16:4, “Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.”

At the end of the day, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)