Potential

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for reading and often offering encouraging words about my columns. It was comforting to know my devoted mother, loving wife, and caring daughter were not the only ones reading whatever drivel Patti graciously allowed me to print in this paper. In the coming year we look forward to sharing additional articles with you which we hope will benefit our readers.

This article reflects my own opinions, and I would ask you not to see them in any way as the opinions held by the bank or its other employees.

In the Bible a wise preacher wrote that the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1).

This is a peculiar idea, because it goes against our natural understanding. We celebrate a birth and mourn a death. If I understand him correctly, though, he’s not talking about the joys or sorrows we receive from these events. Instead, he’s talking about potential. Every birth represents the beginning, all potential with no fulfillment. When we die, we see in our life’s history the fulfillment of that potential.

Consider a promise you’ve made in the last week. As the words came out, they only represented the potential. “Yes, mom, I’ll take the trash out.” “Yes, sweetheart, I’ll wrap the gifts.” “Yes, son, I will drive you to the basketball game Friday night.” Promises express potential that would be worthless empty words without fulfillment.

On Christmas, many will celebrate the arrival of our Savior to this earth. What makes him beautiful is more than the swaddling, the angelic host on high, the gold or frankincense or myrrh. What makes him beautiful and inviting is the perfectly fulfilled potential. The promises he made, he fulfilled. The actions which were spoken of him, he completed. Salvation offered through realized potential.

In a little over a week, the calendar will role to 2022. It will be a day to celebrate a new slate full of potential. What can we each do in 2022 to better realize our potential? How marvelous is our risen Lord and perfect example. As we consider him in the coming days and our potential for good in the coming year, may I encourage each one of us to dedicate ourselves to living out 2022 to our fullest potential.

May we be able to look back at the end of next year and say, “I kept my word, I accomplished much good, and I realized my potential.”

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. For of his fullness we have all received and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:14-17, NASB)

Joshua Riggins is the president of Farmers & Mechanics Federal Bank in Bloomfield, and is committed to providing customers with a reliable and competent banking experience.