Wasted Potential

Good Will Hunting (directed by Gus Van Sant, Miramax, 1998) is a movie about wasted potential. The film revolves around Will, a brilliant, but aimless and underachieving, young janitor at MIT. Will is squandering his opportunity to make a difference in the world. If he continues down that path, he may miss his chance to make his mark and leave a legacy. The Israelites squandered their opportunity to experience the promised rest of God; they wasted their potential in the wilderness. Like Will, Christians today have a choice to make. The promised land, the promise of rest and peace and fulfillment, lies on the horizon as a real possibility for each of us. We can go the way of the Israelites, squandering our opportunity and forfeiting our birthright, or we can accept our call and realize our potential in Christ, pressing on and proceeding toward the rest that God wants all of us to experience in him.