Every human being was created or born with potential, which if discovered,  developed and released, will not only enable him or her find his or her place in society,but also make meaningful contributions to society and eventually leave a legacy for posterity. A man or woman’s eventual exit from the earth scene should not imply the obliteration of his or her influence on earth. We owe it to posterity to leave something of a lasting value behind. But how do we achieve that? The answer to the question above is what this post is about. But let us first define potential.   
DEFINITION OF POTENTIAL
   Potential can be defined as: Divinely designed qualities embedded or concealed in a person, in their raw, unrefined state, intended as equipment for the fulfilment of his or her assignment on earth, if discovered, developed and released. In other words, your potential is what you actually have, as far as your relevance to society is concerned.
  Each and every member of the human race possesses potential. To prove this, you simply need to look closely at what the bible says in Genesis:1:28:

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill
 the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
 
The verse of scripture above addresses the generality of the human race. Therefore, just as God placed potential in the first man and woman for fruitfulness and multiplication, He did the same in all their offspring. No human being can correctly claim a personal lack of potential. 
THE IMPORTANCE OF POTENTIAL
   Potential is important for the following reasons :
Firstly, potential is important because it is God’s investment in a man or woman. It is the seed which God has deposited in every human being for productivity. Like the master of the servants who were given talents to trade with(Matt 25vs14-30), God expects returns on His investment of latent resources (potential) in man.
    Secondly, your potential is the means by which you express the best version of your  individuality and personality. As you put your potential to use, your true and unique self, surfaces.
    Thirdly, according to the Amplified version’s rendition of Genesis 1:28, man is to subdue the earth, using all its vast resources in the service of God and man. Your qualification for participation in that mandate is your potential. In other words, it is by putting your potential to work that you can harness the treasures of the earth.
    Fourthly, just as a city set on a hill cannot be hidden(Matt 5vs 14), so also will your potential, if discovered, developed and released, make you a light to  your generation, a becon of hope and a point of reference for generations to come.
    Lastly, your potential provides you with the means of experiencing genuine fulfilment and fruitfulness in life.
   Based on the importance of potential given above, it is imperative for you to do everything necessary to discover, develop and release your potential.
HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR POTENTIAL
   As its definition suggests, potential is not man made but God-given, hence the necessity to discover it. Infact the Bible describes potential as:”God’s grace in its various forms” (1Peter 4:10 NIV ). For this reason, the quest for the discovery of potential should be relentless.
   In order to discover your potential, first, you need to look to God for help. You need to call to Him, as the Bible exhorts in Jer 33vs3, and then, as the scripture promises, God will answer and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. God is our only source, and as such, we should always consult Him through prayer and searching the Holy Scriptures, for answers and directions for our lives (Jer 10:23NIV).
Next, carefully investigate your passions, talents, desires, natural abilities etc, with a view to finding out which of them inspires life in you and flows through you with the ease of naturalness. Therefore, faithfully do whatever your hand finds to do at the moment (Eccles 9:10), while being observant of areas of  what you do that come naturally to you. Your potential, more often than not, is something that you can do with ease.
  Finally, there are times when you may need someone else to help you recognise your potential, as was the case of the widow whose sons were to be taken into slavery because of the debt her husband owed (2Ki 4:1). She ran to Elisha for help. She was in a desperate situation. Elisha wanted to know how he could help her, and therefore asked her what she had in her house. Her response was that she had nothing, but probably as an afterthought, added: “But a jar of oil “(2Ki 4:2). Elisha’s response was a revelation to her that the jar of oil, in question, was her potential. Sometimes, others can recognise giftings in you that you have not noticed. Therefore, give careful thought to the observations of others (especially those who know and care about you), in this regard. Shallom.