Maximizing Your Potential

attack. First, Nehemiah sent a messenger instead of going himself when his enemies summoned him. Stay away from the opposition . Second, he refused to stop his work to talk. Don’t waste time talking. Even when Sanballat sent letters four and five times requesting Nehemiah to come to a village to talk, and tried to intimidate Nehemiah by suggesting that he would soon be in trouble with the king in Persia, Nehemiah remained firm in his stance. He again sent a letter instead of going himself, and he accused his opposers of making things up in their heads to create trouble. You too must remain firm in your decisions and refuse to be intimidated by your oppressors. These are the seventh and eighth factors in protecting your potential when you are under assault. Nehemiah used many methods to fight for his vision. You must employ the same methods to preserve your potential from attack. Fight for Your Vision There will always be people who are committed to destroying you. They will criticize you, ridicule you, and become angry with you. Let them. You are not responsible for their actions, only your own. Fight for your vision. Share your dream only when you must, and choose carefully with whom you share it. Do the background work and stay on course when the going gets rough. Expect opposition and be careful not to allow the threats and accusations of your enemies to intimidate you. Stick with your decisions and remain committed to your goal. Don’t let quietness fool you so that you are caught unprepared by a later attack. Talk to God about your needs and allow Him to respond to your oppressors. Never answer them yourself. Finally, keep yourself busy. Don’t allow the battle to interfere with your work. You may not be popular, but you will be successful because God works with those who put forth the effort to stay with the vision He has given them. Thus, your opposers will learn that they are not as important as what you are doing , and you will remain focused on your vision with renewed wisdom and strength to accomplish it. Your potential is worth the effort of overcoming its enemies. Get Moving God helps those who help themselves. This familiar saying expresses an important truth. Paul told Timothy to seek the help of the Holy Spirit (see 2 Timothy 1:14), not to expect Him to run the whole show. The Holy Spirit will not take over our lives, but He will assist us in running them. That’s the meaning of His name paracletus ). He is our helper or assistant. He doesn’t guard our potential. He helps us to do so by guiding our decisions and by empowering us to withstand and triumph in the midst of trials.