In the scriptures, believers are called to see and experience the potential offered by God in each season of our lives. One of my “verses of life,” which has been a driving force in the pursuit of God’s will for me, is found in Acts. “He raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ … For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers” (Acts 13:22,36, ESV).
Absorb this verse and search your heart by asking yourself this question: Do I serve God in the current season of my life? Or on the contrary, have I slowed down, diminished or abdicated my pursuit of his will?
What will you do in the time that the Lord has given you on this planet, wherever you are in the world? Throughout Philippians, the apostle Paul essentially asks everyone the same question: “Are you fulfilling your potential?” My dearest desire is that you will have the resources necessary to answer this question personally and honestly. I want you to see the unique potential that God has placed within you grow and be realized.
If I had to choose a foundational verse for this whole idea, it would be “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Whatever your age, there is still a potential in you that the Lord wants to develop. Whether you are a student or in the labor market, single, married, divorced, single parent, parent or grandparent, your purpose is in God’s hands.
There are works and exploits that only you, wherever you are, can accomplish. Are you ready to answer that call? It is not passive; it is active. It is not accomplished in the past or the future, it is in the present. It is not only natural but also supernatural. God has not said his last word! For every believer across the world: your calling is waiting for you. I challenge you to live your full potential for the Lord in your generation like David.
Claude Houde is the lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.