How To Reach Your Potential?

Deuteronomy 6:3 (KJV)
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

Dr. Booker T. Washington once said, “Success is not determined by the position that one achieves in life, but by the obstacles that one overcomes.” I thought it was very interesting a man who was a former slave made that statement. The quote suggests to me that he did not allow the things that were going on during the time he lived discourage him from reaching his potential. He experienced oppression, the lack of opportunity, and many obstacles. Although he was physically enslaved, he did not allow the chains to enslave him mentally. The times in which we live are similar to the times in which Booker T. Washington lived. We do not have chains on us physically, but if you look at our country and its economy there is a lack of opportunity. I have heard and read countless stories of people losing hope and giving up.

What challenge are you facing today? . . . Has your situation caused you to questioning your future? . . . I want to encourage you my friends because there is always hope.

In our text, the nation of Israel is in transition. They are in route to Canaan. Canaan represents spiritual prosperity. God had to take Israel through a purging process that included cycles of barrenness in the wilderness. Often times God has to dry out our flesh to teach us to trust him. All along the path to Canaan, God was teaching Israel to trust him. Often times in life we allow our flesh to govern our decision making. When our flesh dictates our decisions, we make decisions based on how we feel. We have to learn to die to our flesh and operate by faith in order to reach our full potential.

Many times we have aspirations, but we do not want to experience the agony it takes to attain what God has for us. The text indicates to us we have to allow God to lead us through the word of God. The word of God should be the standard for our life and we should only live to please God. I challenge you today to operate by faith and not by what you can see. God has something special for you if you let him lead you to your Canaan.

God bless and keep you is my prayer.