How to Reach Your Full Potential for God
By: Charles F. Stanley
Let me begin, in full disclosure, by saying that I am not a fan of self-help books. On the surface this book seems to speak to our spirit in an effort to go "all out" or be completely "sold out" to Christ so that we might meet the fullest potential and worth that He has for us in this life. In reality; however, this book points to our carnal man and attempts to give us five-to-ten steps to living the perfect life that God has for us.
There is no real problem with books like this. I'm sure somewhere, someone can and does live that sort of "sing-songy" lifestyle that can be perfectly ordered and perfectly structured. There is also nothing wrong with the advice given by Dr. Stanley. How do you maximize your effectiveness in this life? Well, you do it by being in right relationship with God, and then by maintaining a healthy, balanced life.
The problem, of course, does surface when it comes to application. Jesus didn't preach a happy twelve step program that consisted of eating right and getting enough sleep. Instead, He gave his life in a brutal, bloody public murder. That is also the same fate that met his twelve disciples, with the exception of John. This doesn't even scratch the surface of the countless martyrs that have sacrificed "living a balanced life" to sneak Bibles in communist countries so that someone might be saved.
Am I saying that everyone is called to be a martyr? Obviously not. I'm simply suggesting that Dr. Stanley could have wrapped his book up into a simple idea. How do you reach your full potential for God? Simply obey His plan for you, and follow it full throttle. That's how the disciples did it, even though several of them doubted and failed several times first.
My pastor recently preached a sermon. He talked about how ships at sea used to sail under a flag or a set of colors. When ships would battle each other at sea, a sign of surrender was when the vessel pulled their colors down from the mast. This would indicate to the other vessel that the towel was thrown in and they were surrendering themselves. The story goes; however, that certain captains, before entering into battle, would ask their crew just how far they were willing to go to get the victory. If the crew agreed that they would stop at nothing to win the battle, then they would nail the colors to the mast. No matter how hard the battle waged, or how certain defeat was, they would not give up because their colors were nailed to the mast. How do you get to your full potential in Christ? You nail your colors to the mast, and you refuse to give up. Sure living a balanced, healthy life might help, but those are byproducts of keeping your eye fixed on the horizon and pushing forward despite the battle!
Keep in mind, this is merely my humble opinion.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
