Igniting Christian Potential

By WZ Nsereko

One of the greatest resources in this world is called Human resource. Unfortunately, most of this resource has not been put to use. People are ignorant and unaware of the potential in them to do great things. This book is based on tried out authentic experiences and research that can help one discover their God-given potential to implement their visions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329081321

Book preview

Igniting Christian Potential

IGNITING CHRISTIAN POTENTIAL

PREFACE

This book is a collection of real life experiences and research on missionaries or people who have discovered their God given potentials and are implementing their  visions in both native and foreign nations. The experience and knowledge of mission teams and individuals implementing visions has been a great tool in the writing of this book. This book selectively discuses experiences and the principles that make mission’s work or vision implementation difficult or easy. This book gives a three dimensional view of God’s Missions and Man.  Igniting Christian Potential explains and simplifies the great commission and the purpose of life to a level where all people can see their place in society. Once people are aware of their place and role in society, it becomes so easy to relate to the big wonderful and adventurous vision of God.

One important aspect of this book is the guidelines it gives to  help people discover their potential and the practical path to implement visions in the mission field. The book provides a platform for reflections to the reader and guides the reader on how to get help in some of the areas where challenges are found.

The contents of this book are not in any way intended to criticise or offend anyone, neither is it aimed at disregarding some methods and approaches aimed at implementing visions in mission. The ultimate aim of this book is to help develop a good strategy towards having successful missions, businesses, companies and the entire implementation of God given potentials in life. This book can be used as a tool and guide to make vision work effective.

The book provides advises from different missionaries operating in different countries and fields, bringing on board a multicultural coverage of various mission fields based on the experience of missionaries with different visions on missions.

This book can be used before, during and after missions.  Its size and simplicity to read makes it possible to be carried in the pocket or handbag. Always refer to it when caught up with any challenge in vision implementation.

The book is straight to the point and gives  an antidote to different situations. It checks to keep vision implementors on track and can also work as a guidebook in mission evaluation.

Besides all the above, reading this book is a motivator and an eye opener to missions. Be assured of being empowered, inspired and equipped for the vision God is calling you to implement. Remember this God is calling everybody to work in their field. Your profession, your education, your talent, your gift, your energy, your personality are tools God has given you to use in the implementation of that God given vision.

VISION

Vision is the physical realization of an ideal reality by actively painting a picture that inspires and causes people’s potentials and passion to be put into use. It describes a preferred future of God and his people and the steps that will be taken by the people with the help of God to reach that future. Though vision is natural in a sense and presents itself in almost all circles of life, its reality can only be seen when someone is actively doing something. The intended future does not just happen. It takes God, people, preparation, time, knowledge and sometimes money. One can say that; Life is a mission leading to God’s intended future for mankind. Vision starts on the day of conception and ends wherever one chooses to end it. Whatever one does in life determines the future. It is, therefore, important to know the intended future of God before thinking of own plans for the future, take some time and try to find out what God’s future for you looks like. It is time wasting trying to escape from the intended future of God for our lives.

In one of the evangelical missions, a man in his 60s came to the pulpit to give his life to Jesus and the only word he continually cried out was; I wasted it. He had realised that in all his 60 years of life, he had lived a life away from God’s intended future.

Mission can also be seen as the actions and strategies aimed at reaching a dream or vision initiated and inspired by God. Get a vision or dream from God and start living up to something. The power to wake up happy every morning comes from having a God given dream or vision.

Vision creates responsibility, discipline, accountability and sometimes it is the drive behind hardworking. Many times when the word Vision is mentioned, people start searching for that thing called Vision out there.  The understanding that vision cannot exist without you and is not somewhere out there should be familiar. Vision is within you, starts with you, who you are and what you can do. Identity plays a tremendous role in defining the mystery behind a vision. Vision helps to shape, direct, explore and transform the current potential into a resource that moulds the present into the future. Vision is a tool in the creation of a visual atmosphere where we have a glance of that beautiful future that God is up to.

Faith as an element of vision.

When faith is visualised and condensed into a substantial matter, it becomes a vision. This can also explain the following scriptures;  James 2:14; faith without action is dead. Proverbs 29:18; where there is no vision people perish

Faith is the fuel and insurance for vision.

Without faith, there is no way one can start acting on their vision. Most visions do not match the holder’s physical abilities. On the other hand, some visions are too small, for the holder to value and invest their time in it.

These two scriptures can apply to these two situations.

The mustard seed in Mathew 13:31. He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES. It is not easy to value small things. It takes faith to see greater potentials in small things. You cannot value what you don’t see.

Humble beginning in Job 8.7. Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.  Zachariah 4:10 Who dares despise the day of small things. What we see now is not what will show up tomorrow. It takes faith to see something that is not physically present. There is no way one can be motivated by something small or something that does not exist. The only motivation and encouragement comes from what we expect in future. Without faith people lose courage and are prone to fail. Nothing great starts big, growth is the only healthy and acceptable process to  greatness. We need to appreciate that everything that is big was once small.

ALL HAVE IT

IT may be anything that exists in the form of matter. However, in this case we shall try to define IT as that God-given potential that needs to be implemented. Energy can exist, but until it is put into use, it will not be valuable and useful. It does not matter the quantity of energy or knowledge one has. What matters is how one uses the energy or knowledge. Everyone has or can acquire knowledge from institutions and experiences, but only those who use this knowledge in implementation of the vision are termed as having wisdom.

It is a common tendency in today’s world of leadership to find managers, senior pastors and coaches being seen as the vision bearer and all the others are either supporters or followers of the vision bearer.

The world is filled with millions of different visions being led or carried by millions of people. As already mentioned, all visions need to be embraced and owned by a significant number of people. This means that all visions bearers have tens, hundreds, thousands, if not ten thousands of people under them. The complex question here is if a person is under a vision of 1000 people, how can this concept of all have IT make any sense or apply to him/her.

The answer to this question is based on the fact that, vision ownership is relative and dependent on time and moments. There is a master vision bearer who is Jesus Christ our lord and saviour, under him comes all of us. However, it is important to know that the level of realization of having this potential of implementing visions varies. Some people need to be in another vision before they can realise, discover and launch into their own if necessary. It is a good practice and a biblical principle to learn and grow under another person’s vision before you start implementing your own vision.

Sometimes one may have a level of ownership that is beyond the vision bearer and does not need to launch into their vision. Think of a church with a music ministry. The senior pastor could be the head of the whole church and carries the main responsibility as the vision bearer. However, the music ministry is bound to fail if the senior pastor with his central vision fails to realise that the music ministry leader must have a vision for his department. This means that though it is important to have your own sole  vision, it is also true that one can own a vision in another person’s vision.

For the music ministry to perform to its full potential as intended by God, the music leader needs to have a vision for the music ministry team. He should not be limited by the passion of the senior pastor and the ownership of the vision by other people. All visions that are birthed from the main vision should be given the opportunity to grow bigger than the main vision. The main reason people do not want to be part of visions is the control that comes from vision bearers who fail to appreciate the fact that ALL HAVE IT. When vision bearers come to that level of knowing that all have it, many people will be trained, inspired, motivated and challenged to put their potential to use by implementing their vision.

Note: Some of the vision elements of your followers might be totally different from yours

The senior pastor has a vision for the whole church, but the worship team leader has the vision for the worship team. Though the different visions in the church might differ in the amount of energy invested, time given, the budget allocated and target group, this does not make any of the visions less or more than the other.

We should be aware of the temptation of competition that attacks the church to prevent the people of God from working together in unity as a body of Christ. We need to embrace and respect all visions and encourage as many Christians  as possible to have visions and dreams. We also need to be actively involved in helping and supporting people to implement visions.

Luke 10:1-2 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Jesus Christ the greatest leader that ever lived on earth took a keen interest in discovering the potentials and visions of the people he led. He made sure that he gives them a platform and support to start implementing their visions. He sent them out to preach the Gospel two by two, he let them cast out demons, he delegated work to them.

Jesus understood that all have it. He recruited, trained, empowered and deployed. The work before us is so much and can only be done if