(Joyce) THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. WE PROMISED WE WOULD TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL, SO DO YOU THINK VERY MANY PEOPLE IN LIFE REALLY REACH THEIR POTENTIAL OR ARE WE CAPABLE OF A LOT MORE THAN WE ACTUALLY END UP DOING?
(John) I THINK WE’RE ALL CAPABLE OF MORE THAN WE ACTUALLY DO.
I REALLY DO. I DON’T THINK ANY OF US EVER REACH OUR “GOD-GIVEN POTENTIAL” BUT I THINK SOME PEOPLE REACH A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF IT THAN OTHERS. ONE OF THE THINGS I TRY TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THERE IS WE HAVE NOBODY MORE FOR US THAN GOD HIMSELF. HE CREATED US FOR GREATNESS. HE CREATED US TO BUILD THE WORK OF GOD AND HE CREATED US TO BE SALT AND LIGHT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CULTURE AND SOCIETY, SO HE’S LIKE… I LOVE THE CHORUS IN WORSHIP “I AM A FRIEND OF GOD.” IN FACT, THE OTHER DAY I WAS IN A WORSHIP SERVICE WHERE THEY WERE SINGING THAT AND TEARS JUST BEGAN TO FLOW AND I THOUGHT “I’M GOD’S FRIEND. OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT GOD REALLY LIKES ME.” THERE ARE SOME TIMES I DON’T LIKE MYSELF, I’M SOMETIMES NOT MY OWN FRIEND BUT HE UNCONDITIONALLY IS MY FRIEND.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WITH ATTITUDE FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IS THERE IS NOBODY WHO WANTS YOU TO SUCCEED MORE THAN GOD, THERE IS NOBODY WHO WANTS YOU TO THINK CORRECTLY MORE THAN GOD. THERE’S NO ONE WHO WANTS TO ENABLE YOU AND EMPOWER YOU EVEN SPIRITUALLY, AND EQUIP YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL THAN GOD HIMSELF AND SOMETIMES WHAT WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR RUT IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO BELIEVES IN US OR HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WILL ENCOURAGE US AND BRING US ALONG. GOD IS OUR CHIEF STRENGTH, HE’S OUR CHIEF SOURCE, HE’S OUR CHIEF ENCOURAGER. THAT REALLY HELPS ME. THAT REALLY HELPS ME WHEN I’M EVEN KIND OF DOWN ON MYSELF AND DIDN’T HAVE THE DAY I WANTED TO HAVE, IS THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY.
