It's All About Potential!
It’s All About Potential.
Today I had the chance to reflect on a concept that always hits hard when I evaluate my daily effort and the outcomes it produces. I pay a lot of attention to results. When things don’t measure up to expectations, I often head back to the drawing board to figure out what went wrong. I’m constantly looking for ways for our teams to improve, but if I’m honest, anything less than perfection often feels like failure.
And if I’m double honest, I’m not even sure what perfection really looks like. It’s like I’m hoping it’ll somehow hit me during the process, as if I’ll stumble into it by accident. I’m funny that way.
So what caught my attention this morning?
A mentor I deeply respect shared something during the Bible study he leads that made me pause. He brought up how God delivered instruction to humanity in the very first chapter of Genesis. Let’s look at the verse together—and as you read, remember these words:
It’s always been about potential, not perfection.
Genesis 1:28
"And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’"
How do we see the potential?
“Be fruitful and multiply” — a command to grow and reproduce.
“Fill the earth and subdue it” — the Hebrew word for subdue (kabash) means to bring under control or steward.
This verse is often read as God giving humanity both a blessing and a responsibility—the sacred charge to care for and manage the earth.
But today, one word stood out to me: subdue.
The point my mentor made was this: If God had been focused only on perfection when He partnered with humanity in the garden, wouldn’t He have said “don’t touch it”?
Instead, He said subdue it. He gave us responsibility. He invited us into partnership. That means the world was filled with potential, and He trusted us to help shape it.
That truth helped me today.
God handed over responsibility, knowing the potential it would draw out of us. He placed us in a creation that needed to be subdued. Not because it was flawed, but because it had room to grow, just like we do.
So what does that mean for me?
As I work, especially in the missions I believe I’ve been called to, I can rest easy knowing that God never expected perfection from me. He entrusted me with responsibility knowing I would fall short sometimes. And yet, He still invited me to work with Him.
That gives me peace.
Because every day I show up and give my best, I honor Him. Even in imperfection, He is glorified—because He is perfect.
Thanks to Kuch and the fellas at MI3 this morning for helping me see something new.
Wishing you all a fantastic weekend—go enjoy that sunshine!
-Mark
