Devotionals for the Heart: Potential

Discovering Your True Potential
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
–Matthew 16:18 (NLT)

Potential. I love the possibilities available with that word. It holds out hope and promise. Has someone ever seen something in you that you didn’t see? Has someone been kind enough to tell you that you’d be good at something and it made you see yourself in a different light?

This summer, we are preparing to send my son to his senior year of high school. As we prepare, I’m feeling grateful that a few years ago a teacher saw something in him that we probably never would have. She gave him the encouragement to try something that has given him direction and focus, as well as a possible career that will help others. Her ability to see his potential, and a few words to tell him that, have made a huge difference in his life.

In the verses above, I love that Jesus Christ gives Peter a hint of the future He sees in him—as a rock, steady enough to build His church on. Peter is one of the most relatable characters in the Bible, because in his weaknesses—his impatience, his temper, his reactions—we see ourselves.

Jesus, being God, has the perfect vantage point to see everything that Peter had been, who he is in that moment, but also who he would become.

Jesus knew Peter would not remain the way he was. He would become a preacher, an evangelist, a foundation for the faith of generations to come.

What must Peter have felt hearing those words from Jesus? To tell a fisherman from Galilee, “I love you. I know you. I see the amazing person you will be as you let Me work through you. What a story you will have to tell!”

What story is Jesus telling through you today? Do you need to hear the encouragement from Him that You are here for a reason? Or is it your turn to speak those words of potential to someone in your life?

So often we want to see the worst in people, especially people who aren’t like us.

Be on the lookout today, making an effort to see the best in someone—maybe an acquaintance, maybe a family member, maybe someone you don’t even really like. Look for a quality or a characteristic or a potential in them. Say something about it. They may not know that they are or could be really good at something.

Your words of encouragement about their potential may change their world!

Let’s Pray: Dear Living God, do a work in each of us today. Give me eyes to see the best in those around me, and myself. Let me live in the grace that You are changing me day by day into the person You see when You look at me. I love You for what you are doing in me! Please give me grace with others who You are working on as well. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.