There is an old chorus, usually sung by children, called I Am a Promise, with fantastic lyrics.

I wish I had been taught the truth of these words as a young child.

In the era in which I was raised, parents worried that telling their children they were special would make them prideful. I grew up on rhetoric that repeatedly proclaimed the goal was to get through high school and then get out the door to search for a job … any job. There was no encouragement to reach for more.

Following Jesus means we can be brave and truly experience life in all its fullness, no matter where we started from. Once we know who we are in Christ Jesus, that we are His, lovingly purchased with a great price, then we can live life in all its fullness!

We are sons and daughters of the King who chose the lowest and the least to do great things for eternity. There are so many examples throughout Scripture. God chose a post-menopausal, barren woman to become the mother of a great nation. He chose Moses, who likely had a speech impediment, to lead a great nation into the promised land. He chose the youngest and smallest of Jesse’s boys to slay a giant of a man before he became the King of Israel. In the New Testament, we see Jesus choosing fishermen who became part of His motley crew that would eventually start the early Church. These men were not scholarly biblical theologians. Yet they were filled with possibility and promise, along with the potential to win the world for Christ.

So, let’s teach our children well. Whether they have special needs or are afflicted with any number of conditions like dyslexia, attention deficit, etc. … cheer them on! They each have amazing possibilities to be unearthed. Just like faith as tiny as a mustard seed can move mountains, recognizing a person’s potential and showing that you have faith in them will reap great rewards. How can we do this?

First, and most importantly, encourage one another in the Lord and build each other up (1 Thess. 5:11). When you notice a spark of a gift that has promise in a person, share that insight with them. Plant the seed of encouragement and watch as it blossoms and grows into a bundle of potential!

“Train up a child in the way they should go [teaching them to seek God’s wisdom and will for their abilities and talents]. Even when they are old, they will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). AMP

I Am a Promise

I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise
With a capital P
I am a great big bundle of potentiality, oh yeah.
And I am learning to hear God's voice
And I am trying to make the right choice
I'm a promise to be anything He wants me to be.

• Life Purpose Devotionals
• Attitude Devotionals
• Encouragement Devotionals
• Community Devotionals