Develop Your Potential: Nobody Starts at the Finish Line

A Leader in the Making: Essentials to Being a Leader After God's Own Heart
by Joyce Meyer

Chapter 1

Part 1

“That person is a born leader”

We hear this statement often.

Are leaders born or are they made?

It is true that some people do seem to be born with an abundance of leadership gifts and qualities. But it is also true that some of the best leaders in the kingdom of Cod are those whom the world would probably disregard as even qualifying for leadership. All that these type of people need is someone to recognize their potential and help them develop it. Often they turn out to be some of the most precious and effective people in leadership.

Whether you are a born leader or you have to work at becoming one, my purpose in writing this book is to help you recognize your potential as a leader and show you how to develop it.

Some people who work for my husband and me in our ministry come under the category of born leaders. They just have that innate ability to get things done. They have the strong, aggressive type of personality that seems to instinctively know how to motivate others to work together.

But we also have people on our management team I personally would never have thought could ever become managers. Yet when we were in need in a certain area, they seemed to be the ones God was pointing to for that position, so we gave them that chance. We continued to work with them until some of them have become the best managers we have.

One of these people is a woman named Charlotte. When she first came to work for us, she was so fearful that she could not even talk to me without breaking down and crying. Anytime we tried to get her to do anything other than what she was used to doing, she would become frightened and say, “I don't know if I can do that. I'm afraid I'll make a mistake.”

Finally, one day I felt that the Lord was telling me to call her into my office and say to her, “Charlotte, God wants me to tell you that it's time to grow up. You've got to stop crying and being afraid of everything.”

She later told me that she went home in tears because I had hurt her feelings. But when she prayed about it, God told her, “Joyce is right. It is time for you to grow up and start accepting more responsibility.”

She said yes to the Lord and to us, and now she has developed into one of our finest leaders. She has learned to accept more and more responsibility-all because she quit being afraid and started developing her potential.

That happened because we were determined not to give up on her. Like Charlotte, there are many people who have tremendous potential? but need someone who will work with them and not give up on them.

Aren't you glad that God did not give up on you? Well, guess what? He may put someone else in your life He does not want you to give up on.

Sometimes the people who are the biggest thorns in our side are the very ones Cod wants us to be patient with and help develop just as He was patient with us and is helping us develop into all that we can be.

OUR NUMBER ONE JOB

The development of personal potential is each person's number one job.

We all have undeveloped potential, but we will never see it manifested until we believe God and believe that we can do whatever He says we can do in His Word. Unless we take a chance and step out in faith believing that with God nothing is impossible, He cannot do the work in us that He wants to do to develop our potential.

I believe you are reading this book by divine appointment. Even if nobody else in the world believes in you, God does. With that confidence, you can do whatever He wants you to do. Without it, no matter what He wants you to do, you will be unable to do it because you are not in agreement with Him.

When we don't agree with Cod, we are, in essence, agreeing with the devil. We are saying the devil is right when he tells us through negative thoughts or someone else's comments that we are worthless and can do nothing.

It is very important with whom we agree. Jesus said that if any two agree on earth about anything, it will be done for them by His Father in heaven.

When I was going through a difficult period in my life, the Lord reminded me of this verse and told me that if I could not find anyone else to agree with me, I could always agree with the Holy Spirit. He is on the earth too if He lives inside of us. We agree with Him by agreeing with what we know the Word says is true in a particular situation.

Copyright © 2001 by Joyce Meyer

About the Author

JOYCE MEYER has been teaching the Word of God since 1976 and in full-time ministry since 1980. She is the bestselling author of more than fifty inspirational books, including How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and Battlefield of the Mind. She has also released thousands of teaching cassettes and a complete video library. Joyce's Enjoying Everyday Life radio and television programs are broadcast around the world, and she travels extensively conducting conferences.