Reaching Your God-Given Potential 

Achieving Your God-Given Potential

I am writing this series of articles to explore one of the most important journeys of our lives: discovering and striving to fulfill our God-given potential. Each of us has been uniquely blessed by the Lord with gifts, talents, and opportunities, entrusted to us not just for our benefit but for the glory of God and the good of others.

This first article initiates a conversation about themes that recur year after year in our programs—how to recognize, believe in, and courageously pursue the full measure of who God created you to be.

What Does It Mean to Reach Your God-Given Potential?

From a faith perspective, your God-given potential is the fullness of who God created you to become in light of His plan for your life. It means developing the gifts, virtues, and talents He has entrusted to you, and offering them back to Him through service, perseverance, and love.

Reaching your God-given potential is not merely about personal achievement, but about living in such a way that your life points others toward Christ.

When you give your very best with the gifts God has provided, you glorify Him. And in doing so, you inspire others to rise higher themselves.

The Power of Breakthroughs

One of the most inspiring examples of motivating others through achievement is the story of the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile. For decades, experts claimed the barrier could not be broken. Then, in 1954, Roger Bannister ran 3:59.4—and in the years that followed, hundreds of others broke through the same wall.

This illustrates a profound truth: when you courageously strive toward your God-given potential, you do not walk alone. Your victory becomes the spark that lights the fire in others.

Success, Service, and the Example of John Wooden

Legendary coach John Wooden once said, “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made an effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Wooden understood that striving for excellence was not just about winning games—it was about forming character, serving others, and glorifying God by doing your best with the gifts you had been given. That is why his influence extended far beyond the world of basketball.

As a young coach, I devoured everything I could about Wooden. Though we coached different sports, his wisdom resonated deeply. His model taught me that sport is a powerful classroom of life—where lessons about perseverance, humility, discipline, and faith take root.

Lessons That Endure Beyond the Finish Line

Our athletic peak may be fleeting; speed fades and endurance changes with age. Yet the more profound lessons we gain from striving toward our God-given potential—lessons about courage, perseverance, teamwork, and faith—endure throughout a lifetime.

The first and most essential lesson is to believe—to believe in the gifts God has given you, and to pursue them with courage, perseverance, and hope. Every step taken in faith, no matter how small, honors the Giver of the gift.

As St. Paul reminds us, “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Looking Ahead

In my next article, I’ll explore why some people fall short of their God-given potential and how coaches, mentors, and communities of faith can help inspire others to reach their full potential as God intended.

Blessings,

Coach Weber

Philippians 4:13

Wooden's definition of success in sports is still one of the best I've seen in decades of coaching.