“…and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways, and keep His decrees
and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you
may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”
1 Kings 2:3
Ben Johnson is an athlete from Canada who set many world records. In 1987 he set the world record in the 100-yard dash at 9.83 seconds. In 1988 he broke his own record, winning the race in 9.79. But it is difficult to be correct in calling that a world record because the last record set was not the record of Ben Johnson. It was the record of a steroid pill. That record belongs to Ben Johnson plus the chemicals.
We will never know Ben Johnson’s potential as far as running the 100-yard dash is concerned. Could he have run 100 yards in 9.79 seconds without the chemical? Possibly, but we will never know because Ben Johnson negated his potential by trying a shortcut. There was no reason for his shortcut. He had a world record. He had his name in history, and it was a good name. How sad to destroy a good name by a little bit of chemical.
I picked up a magazine on an airplane in which there was an advertisement that said, “Would you like a doctorate degree? Call us.” I often read that advertisement and wonder how many have called them. If I did not realize that you cannot get something for nothing, I probably would have called them. Many have. There are people out there with doctorate degrees, or with doctorate letters in front of their names, who will never know their potential. They didn’t allow themselves the chance to see what they could really do. They have the degrees, but they didn’t fulfill the requirements.
There are no shortcuts to developing your potential. You will never know what you might have achieved if you use a crutch to get there. You’ll never know what you may have learned if you get a degree without fulfilling the requirements. You will never know what you can do if you attempt to obtain it by a shortcut. Shortcuts negate potential. They destroy the possibilities God planted within you.
Shortcuts negate potential.
