Potential Energy

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
– I Corinthians 15:10

Have you ever noticed how some words become popular that heretofore were relatively unknown? I’m not talking about words that take center stage because they have been recently invented like download or gigabyte in order to explain a new phenomenon of industry. I’m talking about words that have long been waiting in the wings for their debut. Words like paradigm or segue. Though starting to fade a bit because of overuse, they seemed to have just popped up overnight like dandelions in the front yard. Where have they been all these years; and on an even more curious note, what caused them to go from introverts to extroverts?

Well I’m not sure. However, I think there may be a lesson here. Potential energy is a term used by scientists to define possibilities of energy and power within some object that has yet to be released. Okay, enough science. Here’s my point. We all discover this latent potential in our relationships, passion for living, and emotions. Many a young man discovers one day that the girl he has been walking to class just two months earlier and had no attraction for is now someone he wishes to date. We all of a sudden take a liking to a sport that up until now has seemed boring. A painting in a store that we frequent begins to grow on us and we inquire about the price. We develop a friendship with someone that seemed almost repugnant to us in prior days. What is happening in all these situations? I think there is latent potential in talent, emotions, and relationships. They can be triggered by circumstances, maturity, or a longing to find more in life than we thought possible. Paul found that grace was the potential that allowed him to be used greatly of the Lord.

Remember that Jesus grew in wisdom and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). How much more so for us? Look around and take inventory of your life. Is there latent potential ready to be released in ministry, service, prayer, love, sports, or Bible study? As for our two words that appeared for a while, I think segue is making a paradigm shift and paradigm has found a perfect segue out. At least that’s the way I see things.