When we think of ourself living UP to our potential, it feels outside of us. It may even feel unattainable. You have to reach beyond who you are right now.
God said repeatedly in scripture that “The Kingdom of God is WITHIN you.” It’s already inside you.
When Michaelangelo was asked about how he created his sculpture of David, he responded saying he simply chipped away all the marble in the stone that wasn’t David. David was inside all along, he simply took away all the stone that wasn’t Him.
Suddenly the concept of Living IN your potential made perfect sense. When we live in our potential, we let go of the things that aren’t us. We let go of the habits, the thoughts, the stories that are false…And we lean in to who God created us to be. Inside us, is the seed of everything HE is.
Being like Jesus is similar to the acorn being like an Oak tree.
We already have this potential inside. It just needs to grow.
So all the times, I may have said, “I’m not patient!” or “I’m not this” or “I’m not that” or any other denied attribute or characteristic, it is simply not true.
I am designed to be all that God is. You are designed to be all that God is. All His characteristics and attributes are within us already, but we see it only when we chip away the stuff that isnt’ true. We see it and feel it only as we plant ourself in the ground and allow those traits to develop and grow inside us.
Planting ourselves in the ground isn’t a one time thing. We have opposition to our true selves. I call it the false self. The scriptures call it the natural man. I have moments where it feels like I get uprooted. I uproot my growth process when I allow my false self to react, or make choices that aren’t good for myself or others. It’s no wonder those moments feel “unsettling”, because I’ve actually covered up my true identity. I feel ungrounded, because I’ve turned away from who I really am and am no longer firmly planted in the earth to become the mighty oak. I’ve separated from my true self.
This is why I love the concept of repentance being a return. Not only is it a returning of my heart back to God, I’m coming back to who I really am. It’s a return to my true self. I’m planting myself back in the ground again.
The purpose of my life is for me to become the oak tree. It’s for me to become like God. This is my ultimate goal of creation.
When we prevent ourselves from fully receiving and feeling a compliment or an affirmation because we don’t think its true, I want to suggest that this is the same difference as living UP to your potential rather than IN your potential.
If I compliment an acorn seed saying, “you are an amazing tree”, is this false? We know the tree is inside.
What if I tell the little sapling tree who is only a sprout above ground, “you are an amazing tree”. Is this false?
What if I tell the young oak tree that isn’t mature enough to produce acorns of its own yet, “You are an amazing tree.” Is this false?
What if I tell the mature oak that was cut down to be made into furniture or something else to serve others, “You’re an amazing tree”, is this false?
At what stage does this statement finally become true? Or… is it true all along?
LIVE IN your potential, my friends.
Fully accept the compliments you receive in your life, whether they come directly from God, or they come through someone else– either way they’re sent from God to remind you who you really are. They are sent to ground you back into your divine true self. You may not be fully developed yet–none of us are–you may have false self moments–all of us do–, but technically these words are still true. Our hearts may need to soften enough to receive it, but receiving it will help us grow into who we really are and who we can become.
See it.
Say it.
Feel it.
Do it.
Become it.
You are a creator, now go create something great.
