We humans are easily caught up in the promise of possibilities.
We give great respect to Potential.
That's why shows like American Idol spend so little time actually
listening to people sing and so much time telling stories of the people who just
might be able to fully use their talent and reach their dreams. That's why sports fans read more articles about
prospective college players and which professional team may or may not draft
them than pouring over posts about actual games. And that's why media, on both the left and
the right, are so skilled at turning on the propaganda machines and generating
interest for future presidential candidates.
Potential is highly revered.
Now certainly, recognizing one's own potential can have
the positive power to encourage one make good use of the gifts he or she has
been given.
But there is a dark side of Potential.
Sometimes toxic relationships drag on too long because of
a false hope in a boyfriend's or girlfriend's potential - "Sure, he or she
treats me bad now, but we could be so great together." Sometimes people hold onto investments or the
dream of starting a new business or ministry too long because they've spent so
much time and effort and... who knows, success might be just around the corner.
There is a quote that has been rattling around my brain
for the last couple years. Larry Osborne,
in his book "Spirituality for the Rest of Us," says this:
"Potential is not a sacred
responsibility. Potential is a harsh mistress - seductive, never satisfied,
prone to exaggeration, nearly impossible to figure out. Those who pursue her inevitably end up in the
poisoned land of self-centered priorities and me-first decisions." (p.187)
Wow! So, there are two main problems with Potential.
The first is that Potential can make us a slave to what
would-be or could-be. The unfortunate truth,
though, is that we can never actually 'reach' our potential because being ruled
by what seem to be our latent possibilities means we're chasing after a ghost
that is always just beyond our grasp. Having
'unlimited potential' means that we'll never be able to achieve it. Potential is both unreachable and unmeasurable.
And as Osborne notes, a second problem with Potential is
that it is often seen primarily in individual terms. It can cause us to focus primarily on our own
fulfillment and flourishing.
Our team is in the process of trying to figure out just
how long to stay in Montepuez. We've
invested over ten years here on the ground (and another few years before that
in preparation). Churches in the United
States have given a lot to help us learn language and culture and put us in a
position to make a difference for the kingdom of God. So now we're trying to weigh the different
factors involved in staying or leaving at some point in the future.
But, as Rachel and I consider what to do with the next
stage of our lives, I would hope that we would listen less to Potential and be more
attuned to the biblical value of Stewardship.
A steward is one who manages a resource for the benefit
of another. I think that looking at this
decision through the lens of Stewardship would be a healthier way - one that is more measurable
and more Kingdom or community oriented.
Maybe what our culture values as "Potential"
is merely the warped, worldly version of the biblical value known as
Stewardship...
...Anyways, these are just some initial thoughts - escaping
the siren call of that goddess of Potential is surely more easier said than
done. But I think that framing our
team's conversation (and other decisions like it) within the concept of
Stewardship instead of Potential is a good place to start.
May our lives be informed by potential but guided by a
desire to be good stewards for the good of God's Kingdom.
Grace and Peace,
Alan
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