Day
31
- Understanding
Your Shape
You
are unique and have a special mix of abilities that God has designed for
you. We call this mix your SHAPE, and yesterday we looked at your
Spiritual gifts and your Heart.
Your
Abilities are your natural talents. Playing piano, working on
scientific formulas, or teaching children are all examples of God given
talents. Some studies have told us that the average person has from 500
to 700 different talents, and all can be used for God. When we do what
God wants us to do for his glory, we are serving him and completing his
purpose for us.
Your
Personality is the specific unique way that God designed you to
react to the world and events around you. You are deeply unique, and God
designed you so that no one else is like you, no one else could take
your place, and no one else can be who you are. You are irreplaceable.
Your
Experiences are also part of God's design for molding you into
who he wants you to be. Some different experiences could involve family,
school, job, church, ministry, and even painful experiences. Believe it
or not, God can use your pain more than anything else if you'll give it
to him. Painful experiences develop your character, and you will be able
to help others in similar circumstances. Also, painful experiences
constantly remind us of how dependent we are upon God, and that we must
be willing to share them so that we can help others come to God. Our
mistakes, shames, faults, fears, and so many other things that we want
to hide can be used by God to help others and heal ourselves if we
choose to give them to him and let him work at completing us. Rick
Warren tells us, "Don't waste your pain; use it to help
others."
Through
these five areas, God has designed you specifically to be able to do
things that no one else can. Realize that by using each of these areas,
you can work towards fulfilling your unique purpose for him here on
earth.
Thinking
about my purpose:
Know. Nobody
else can be me.
Remember.
"God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use
them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of
blessings." -1 Peter 4.10 (LB)
Think
about it.
What unique parts of my SHAPE do I have to offer my church?