Finding Favor with the King, p.
75
Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9, Jesus calls four fishermen to follow Him and become “fishers of men.” He also calls a tax collector
to follow Him and become His disciple.
You have the potential for greatness.
Do you see yourself as a prince or princess in the making? How about your family and friends? Your next-door neighbor? The homeless person down the street? The annoying colleague at work that you
just can't seem to get along with? Do you think of these people as
potential “royalty” in God's kingdom? God created the human race to
exercise dominion over the created order - to rule with Him as
co-regents of the physical realm.
We are all potential princes and princesses.
In the world, we tend to judge by appearances. We are too easily impressed by human credentials and too quick to write off those who fail to measure up to our standards.
God operates by a different standard.
He judges not by appearance or by present condition but by potential
.
Consider the apostles of Jesus. Judging from human standards, it would be hard to imagine a less likely group of people to be entrusted with God's work.
Jesus called Andrew, Simon, James and John to be His disciples.
These four fishermen were simple, earthy laborers - not the type most of
us would think of as messengers of God's good news.
Yet Jesus saw them as more than just fishermen.
He saw them as “fishers of men.” And that is just what they became..
Matthew was a tax collector. As a “collaborator” with the hated Roman occupation government, he was considered a traitor by his own people.
Jesus looked beyond who Matthew was and saw who he could become.
As a disciple, Matthew went from writing tax accounts to writing a
gospel account of Jesus.
When King Xerxes' emissaries went searching for a new queen they were not looking for perfection. No woman in the kingdom would be “ready-made” for the king's presence.
They were looking for potential.
They sought young maidens who could grow beyond their present
circumstances and be made “fit for a king.”
In the same way, none of us are “fit” for the King. But He can make us “fit.” No matter who you are, where you have been or what you have done, you can still become the person God created
you to be.
He knows the potential that He has placed inside you.
He stands ready to mold and shape you into that person—if you will let
Him.
Don't settle for less than God's best for you. Let Him raise you to the level of the potential He has placed in you. Let Him prepare you for life in the palace.
Prayer | -moz-use-text-color;"">
Lord, I want to reach my full potential in You. |
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