Author: Pastor Claude Thomas
Barriers to reaching our potential as a person are real. Look at the life of David, the great king of Israel. At the time that he was named king he did not look or sound like a king. And others did not think he was kingly material (1 Samuel 16:7-12). And David’s family didn’t think that he had all that much potential to be anything other than a shepherd.
David was too young when he went to fight Goliath. He was discouraged by his king. Saul looked at him and said, “You’re too young to go against this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:33). And later, when Saul was insanely jealous of him, the future didn’t look too bright for David. David’s future and potential were impeded. He had been promised to be king but Saul was already king.
There were barriers that could have kept David from realizing his potential.
You see…there are always barriers that can limit our growth. The Texas Motor Speedway is not too far from where I live. It attracts huge crowds for races and offers unusual opportunities for race fans. Race fans can actually pay to drive a race car around the track for ten laps.
Now there are restrictions. The car they drive will only go 150 miles per hour. No matter how hard they might push the pedal to the metal, the car has a governor that prevents the car from exceeding 150 mph. That device is called “A Rev Limiter.”
We have “Rev Limiters” that are barriers to personal growth. What are they? Well, here are some of the more common ones.
Fear- it keeps us from starting.
Impatience- it encourages us to quit too soon.
Denial- it says we don’t need to grow.
Impulsiveness- it causes wrong decisions that lead down the wrong road.
Jealousy…it causes us to look around and not give attention to growth.
Anger… it always has the potential to cause us to blow it!
These are some of the more common barriers can impede our growth. But here is the good news. They don’t have to!
Look again at the life of David. He was a shepherd that became king. Perhaps, he was Israel’s greatest leader. He kept growing, despite the words of his family, his youthful appearance, his inexperience. David kept growing in the “grace and knowledge” of the Lord, as it were.
What barriers exist in your life? Identify them. Commit them to God. And proceed with confidence they can be overcome by God’s grace or removed by Him.

Topics: Pastor Claude Thomas, Pastor Claude Thomas Advice, Welfare Work |

Comments are closed.

« More And More People Are Opting For International Adoption | Home | Inspiring Others »