by Len Buttner - We have amazing potential, and it is important for us to understand how much potential we have. Understanding the source of our potential comes through the Spirit of God. All manifestations of the Holy Spirit will harmonize with the truth about Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, and Counsellor.
Like a seed, your hidden ability needs to be cultivated; our environment should be a place of encouragement. We need to drench our potential with the Word of God and soak it in the light of personal prayer. Our potential must be carefully guarded and protected. The Bible calls our potential, in Christ, a treasure in an earthen vessel. We read this in (2 Corinthians 4:7), “But we have this treasure (Christ) in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”
God created you and gave your life a purpose. Whatever your purpose is, you possess the potential to fulfil it. That desire in your heart, that dream - God gave it to you. Your potential is equal to that assignment and your purpose gives birth to responsibility. Responsibility makes demands on potential; and your human potential also needs a positive environment. That is fellowship, relationship, love, and challenges in order to maximize your purpose. Jesus came to redeem us to the Father, and He sent the Holy Spirit to restore our internal communication with Him.
Allowing our potential to be developed, means we must guard our desires, visions, dreams and calling from discouragement; procrastination; failures; opinions; distractions; traditions; compromise and sin. Satan is after our potential so be on your guard. We read in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Your potential can only be fulfilled when it serves others. God created the heavens and the earth to operate on this principle. The true measure of fulfilled potential is not only what is accomplished, but also in how others benefit from the outworking of your potential. Your deposit of potential was given to enrich and inspire the lives of others. As we commit ourselves to obey God, and as our life unfolds, we will discover the hidden potential and ability that has always been within our lives.
In Matthew 13:44 we read, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” God wants to provide this life-giving field. We have treasures buried in our lives, because of Christ in us, which need to be joyfully recovered.
Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” Let God’s redeemed people agree with His Word about the treasures in their lives.
Heaven uses a different language, as God speaks to your potential and gifting. When God speaks, He reminds us of who we are to become. God does not speak to the earthen vessel, but He speaks to the treasure that is in it. God talks to you about your destiny.
His destiny revealed, is us asking, why am I here? His image is echoed in our thoughts, feelings, experience. His identity is us considering who am I?
As God blesses your life, which is His primary mechanism for imparting His love deep into your hearts, God then talks about our inheritance and about who we are in the spirit realm.
Here is a spiritual principle; whatever you speak to, rises up. If you speak to: Honour, Nobility, Courage, Destiny, Calling, Potential and Purpose - these will emerge and rise up. Gideon is a great example of God developing potential (Judges 6:11-8:35).
If you speak to the flesh in someone - the flesh rises up and will probably assault you in some way. God is not concerned with who we are not, God’s heart is full towards you because He knows who you are going to be. God knows the plans He has for you to give you a future and a hope. God wants to give us life and life more abundantly.
When Jesus comes to us, He wants to connect us with who we are supposed to be. He connects us with our destiny and our inheritance. When the Holy Spirit speaks to your destiny, we understand our purpose in life. We then want to get rid of our own issues and bondages and turn to God for help.
Welcome the Holy Spirit to speak to the treasure in your life.
Most times the prophetic word can bring breakthrough where people’s lives are resisting counselling. The prophetic word says, ‘excuse me, this is who you are’, we then say, ‘yes I want to be that person’. It is about exchange and displacement. We all have things we don’t need or want. Things we need to get rid of. Life in the spirit is about exchange, what we want and need the most.
What we need right now in our life is to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying. For instance, “If you let Me have that… I can give you this….” We begin learning about heavens priorities, and the most important thing on God’s heart for us. Are you willing to take the risk?
Len Buttner is founder of Eagle Ascend Ministries, which is an itinerant ministry to equip, empower and encourage the church. Len was an ordained minister with Elim before stepping out in faith to establish Eagle Ascend Ministries.