Lately this week I have been thinking about the potential each individual possesses. When you think about it we can do what ever we want almost, good or evil. If we really work at it we can almost accomplish anything.
Not only do we posses tremendous potential as individuals but also as groups and also as leaders. If you look at people like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, David, Solomon, and the Disciples, all of these people had or have great influence over the people around them. They have all done great things. So I have to ask the question, could they have accomplished what they did without the help of other people? Of course not, but could those people have done it without them? Probably not. People need leadership so that their efforts may be organized and their potential capitalized on.
At the tower of babel, the people were actually going to build a tower taller and larger than anything we have built today. They were actually going to accomplish it if God had not stopped them. This thought is very encouraging for me. It shows me what I can do. It lets me know I can a difference.
Even though we as human beings have great potential, we are nothing without God. As can be seen in the examples of the tower of babel and Solomon. All the potential the people had was gone when God stepped in and stopped them. God gave Solomon wisdom, and he used it to accomplish great things and gain great wealth at the expense of his kingdom. So we must keep God in the picture and not think this potential is intrinsic to us, for it is not.
I used to think that I knew everything. Well I did not actually think I knew everything there was to know but I did think I was always right. It's not such a bad thing to have confidence, but I did not realize that I was valuing my opinion over every one else's. For things I did not have an opinion on this was not a problem but you can see where it would cause trouble. Thankfully I am not still this way.
The whole reason for saying all of that is we as a society or at least a lot of us, think we know most of what there is to know. We are satisfied with our cars, our microwaves, our ice boxes, our computers, our software, our clothes, and pretty much everything else we have. What we do not realize is how much more there is to discover. Sure certain people realize this, but the majority does not. People like George Washing Carver, Henrey Ford, George Washington, Thomas Edison (and the black guy who he worked with), and Ben Franklin were all visionaries. Some of them helped start a new nation! I am sure most of the world thought they didn't need a new nation.
Funny thing is, it has been like this for ages. People tend to accept their environment. We have barely had cars, telephones, computers, microwaves, TVs and everything we deem normal for 100 years. That is only about 3 generations if that.
Often I hear people complaining about how sucky their computer is because they thing I have some kind of solution (I DON'T) and lately I have started to see how much more work there is to be done to make computers more useful. That is part of the reason I decided to write about all of this today. What I am trying to say is that each of us can make a difference. Not all of us are great leaders or visionaries, but we each have something to offer. Keep an open mind and don't just accept something because it is there.
Any way, remember...
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. -- Ecclesiastes 9:10 (Sheol being the grave)
Waaaahoooo!!! Paintball!