--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man's potential for God lies not in his…" description: "\"A man's potential for God lies not in his ability, nor in his opportunity, but in his humility before God.\" — Jim Berg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png" --- # A man's potential for God lies not in his ability, nor in… ![“A man's potential for God lies not in his ability, nor in his opportunity, but in his humility before God.” quote by Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png) > “A man's potential for God lies not in his ability, nor in his opportunity, but in his humility before God.” [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humility before God is the true source of divine potential, not talent or chance. **In simple terms:** Humility unlocks spiritual potential. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility. Themes faith humility spiritual growth Mood reverent inspirational Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - prayer - service - leadership - counseling - teaching Key Concepts theology personal development Questions to Reflect On - How does humility change your relationship with God? - What opportunities arise from being humble? A Different Perspective Humility alone may not guarantee success without wisdom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) ## Related quotes > [“I see in Jesus not only the supreme act of humility in God, but the supreme act of humanity in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-porcher-dubose/i-see-in-jesus-not-only-the-supreme-act-of-humility-in-god-but-the/) William Porcher Dubose > [“The Holy Spirit builds on the smooth ground of humility. That's why God will tear you down in order to build you back up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisa-hope-wagner/the-holy-spirit-builds-on-the-smooth-ground-of-humility-that-s-why/) [alisa hope wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisa-hope-wagner/) > [Are you living up to your potential? God made you with potential - potential for greatness! If you do what you can do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/are-you-living-up-to-your-potential-god-made-you-with-potential/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [“The perplexity, the potential— God’s own crucible was not for angels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-worthen/the-perplexity-the-potential-god-s-own-crucible-was-not-for-angels/) [Johnny Worthen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-worthen/) > [My potential is what God gives me - that's His gift to me - what I give back to Him is what I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/my-potential-is-what-god-gives-me-that-s-his-gift-to-me-what-i-give/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Tools arm the man. One can well say that man is capable of bringing forth a world; he lacks only the necessary apparatus, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/tools-arm-the-man-one-can-well-say-that-man-is-capable-of-bringing/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [Master of the universe is every man's potential insight, cosmic potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/master-of-the-universe-is-every-man-s-potential-insight-cosmic/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [Man is as full of potential as he is of importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/man-is-as-full-of-potential-as-he-is-of-importance/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Every man is a potential genius until he does something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-beerbohm-tree/every-man-is-a-potential-genius-until-he-does-something/) [Herbert Beerbohm Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-beerbohm-tree/) > [“Wise is the man who has the potential for height in his muscles but who renounces climbing in his consciousness. By virtue of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/wise-is-the-man-who-has-the-potential-for-height-in-his-muscles-but-2/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Every man is a potential rapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nandita-das/every-man-is-a-potential-rapist/) [Nandita Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nandita-das/) > [“You make on the Womankind's greatest mistakes: falling in love with a man's potential”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/you-make-on-the-womankind-s-greatest-mistakes-falling-in-love-with-a/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“And there my dear Fio, you make one of Womankind's greatest mistakes: falling in love with a man's potential. We so rarely share the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning-fever-series/and-there-my-dear-fio-you-make-one-of-womankind-s-greatest-mistakes/) Karen Marie Moning Fever Series > [Each man has in him the potential to realize the truth through his own will and endeavour and to help others to realize it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/each-man-has-in-him-the-potential-to-realize-the-truth-through-his/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [“Never agree to marry a man because he has potential. Men are not houses, they do not make good fixer-uppers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-agree-to-marry-a-man-because-he-has-potential-men-are-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jim Berg > [Reality (i.e., the truth) is that there is a God in heaven. Reality is that He made us and we are accountable to Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/reality-i-e-the-truth-is-that-there-is-a-god-in-heaven-reality-is/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“The Christopher Columbus Aware: This award goes to those who, like good old Chris, when they set out to do something, don't know where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/the-christopher-columbus-aware-this-award-goes-to-those-who-like-good/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [You have to be different to make a difference. You cannot change anything by adding more of the same. The greatest spiritual impact is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/you-have-to-be-different-to-make-a-difference-you-cannot-change/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“She meditated upon a lie. This is the essence of temptation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/she-meditated-upon-a-lie-this-is-the-essence-of-temptation/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“Impatience is a particularly dangerous habit of the heart because everything worthwhile takes time. Good marriages take time. Spiritual maturity takes time. Financial stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/impatience-is-a-particularly-dangerous-habit-of-the-heart-because/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [Every trial that ever burdened a mortal man, every temptation that ever stormed a human heart, and every blessing that ever delighted a needy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/every-trial-that-ever-burdened-a-mortal-man-every-temptation-that/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“God-loving people have no trouble loving God's law since His laws are reflections of His nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/god-loving-people-have-no-trouble-loving-god-s-law-since-his-laws-are/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“This is the real world, and only a believer walking in fellowship with His Creator and Redeemer can understand it. Everyone else is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/this-is-the-real-world-and-only-a-believer-walking-in-fellowship-with/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“The fact is that if the Christian home, church, and school have done their job well and the student has learned well, he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/the-fact-is-that-if-the-christian-home-church-and-school-have-done/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“A believer who has been giving in to the pull of his sinful heart never learns the extent of its power over him until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/a-believer-who-has-been-giving-in-to-the-pull-of-his-sinful-heart/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“Our Lord did not come to this planet, live a perfect life, and become a worthy atonement for the sins of the world so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/our-lord-did-not-come-to-this-planet-live-a-perfect-life-and-become-a/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“The important lesson here is that wisdom is not having God’s perspective of the whole matter before us, but having God’s perspective about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/the-important-lesson-here-is-that-wisdom-is-not-having-god-s/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [Meditation is not hard to understand. Anyone who knows how to worry knows how to meditate. Worriers are skilled in the meditation process but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/meditation-is-not-hard-to-understand-anyone-who-knows-how-to-worry/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“Wisdom is not having God's perspective of the whole matter before us, but having God's perspective about what next response will honor Him while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/wisdom-is-not-having-god-s-perspective-of-the-whole-matter-before-us/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) > [“God has created in man the desire for Himself and has offered Himself as the object of man's desire. He is the only One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/god-has-created-in-man-the-desire-for-himself-and-has-offered-himself/) [Jim Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) [Explore all 16 Jim Berg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man's potential for God lies not in his ability, nor in his opportunity, but in his humility before God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jim Berg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-his-ability-nor-in-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-his-ability-nor-in-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/jim-berg-31880_ability_a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-hi_1942255.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man's potential for God lies not in his ability, nor in his opportunity, but in his humility before God.” — Jim Berg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jim Berg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-berg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man's potential for God lies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-his-ability-nor-in-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-berg/a-man-s-potential-for-god-lies-not-in-his-ability-nor-in-his/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```