Everybody You Meet Has Potential

Thu, 23 May 2019

‘Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone.’ Galatians 6:10 NLT

Have you ever watched a train switch on to the same track as several disconnected carriages, hook up, and together move forward? The truth is if you want to help people you’ve got to get on the same track, connect with them, and help move them forward. But before you can do that there are two rules you need to observe:

(1) Never take anyone for granted. Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that during an election one of his elderly neighbours told him, ‘I voted for you again today even though you didn’t ask me to.’ Surprised, O’Neill replied, ‘But I’ve known you all my life, Mrs O’Brien. I took out your garbage and mowed your lawn—I didn’t think I had to ask.’ In a motherly tone she replied, ‘It’s always nice to be asked!’

(2) Believe that everyone has potential. Mother Teresa said, ‘We don’t have to be extraordinary in any way. I can do what you can’t do, you can do what I can’t do, and together we can do great things.’ You may not be able to help everybody, but you can help somebody. The thing Andrew is most noted for in Scripture is introducing his brother Peter to Jesus. But Peter ended up bringing multitudes to Jesus. In the New Jerusalem you’ll see the name of each of the apostles written above its twelve foundations (see Revelation 21:14). And Andrew’s name will be there. How come? Because, among other things, he apparently believed everybody has the potential to make a difference once they know Jesus.