Potential Servants

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.
Acts 13:36

Have you ever seen the potential in something that someone else has been unable to see? I can remember one of the first houses I looked at when I began searching for a home. It was located in a nice area in Nashville, Tennessee, yet was going to be moved to another location. The home could have been bought at a cheap price, placed on a nice plot of land, then remodeled and bricked. I was almost sold on the deal when my imagination began roaming, and I thought of the wife and children that may make the house a home. It had great potential. The only problem was if I would be willing to pay the price. Initial costs, remodeling, time, and sweat…

Over the past few days, my eyes have been opened up to lives that possess great potential. At the women’s prison on Sunday, there was a young lady sitting in the middle of the crowd who was moved by the message from Psalms 1. It was comparing and contrasting the life of the righteous and the wicked. It explained the progression of sin from walking in the wrong crowd, standing in the way of sinners and then sitting in the seat of the scornful. I am sure that she never imagined sitting in prison when she was learning her multiplication tables in 3rd grade. However, she had been drifting through life like chaff in the wind. She didn’t have any stability, security or satisfaction? Who knows where she would have been if someone had been around to see the potential in her life and direct her to Jesus? On Sunday, tears fell from her eyes as she heard of the hope and life that is found in Jesus Christ.

At the mission, a young man named Martel, 24, sat across the table eating his lunch consisting of fried chicken, slaw, carrots, bread and cheesecake to sweet to eat. He ate it anyway but couldn’t’ handle a second one. He was from Detroit, Michigan. He had moved to Nashville to attend Tennessee State University before getting in trouble and quitting school. He was now on the streets for a short while before deciding what he was going to do next. He shared with me a little about his life and the wake-up call he received when his brother died in May from a gun-shot wound. He realized that life was not all about the money, and the stuff he had been doing. After watching God provide for his daily needs in a miraculous way, he told me that he began searching for truth. His mom and grandmother told him where to look so he turned to the Word of God. He had so many questions about God’s Word and could quote from his hand-held New Testament better than many that sit in the church pews each Sunday. He shared gospel lyrics that he had written and said that he wanted to continue to study God’s Word to know Him better. God was at work and blessed our fellowship. I saw in him a vibrant, fresh, and inquisitive heart behind the camouflage shirt and khaki pants. He’s on rock bottom from a worldly perspective, but rock bottom is not bad when you are standing on the ROCK of Jesus Christ!

During a youth weekend, I noticed the crowd of young people from various states gathering to worship and serve the Lord. Though many of them wore shirts, ties and dresses and came from established families, I saw a real hunger for God’s Word and a yearning to live successful lives for the glory of God. Success is not measured by dollar figures, homes and cars, but by a life devoted to God’s service. These young people longed to see the lost saved, church alive and Jesus exalted. Worldly success is temporary while godly success lasts in eternity. We live each day in between the two, and it is important to measure which we are impacting the most. These young men and women have been privileged with a godly home, church and strong foundation and are reaping the benefits. In Luke 10:2 Jesus said unto his disciples, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.”

Whether you have been in jail, been homeless or lived a stable home life, there is great hope for anyone who will turn to Jesus casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Life is not picture perfect, but can leave us shattered, battered and bruised. Though I walked away from the house and thought the price was too much to pay, I am thankful that Jesus saw my ruined sinful condition, made me a new creation, and filled me with His Spirit that my heart would be a sanctuary for Him to dwell in! If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31b) Are you living at your full potential?