Purpose Driven Life Day 31

Day 31, May 31st, "Understanding Your Shape"
    - Psalm 139:13 says, "You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb." God designed each one of us unique, there will never be a duplicate. When God created us He broke the mold. "...no one else on earth will ever be able to play the role God planned for you." (Rick Warren). We each have a unique contribution of natural abilities and spiritual gifts. Yesterday we went over the first two letters of SHAPE, today we will go over the last three.

SHAPE: APPLYING YOUR ABILITIES
    We are all born with natural talents. We all have a different combination of natural talents. Our natural talents are just as important as our spiritual gifts because they both come from God.
    *All of our abilities come from God*
          - "Even abilities used to sin are God given; they are just being misused or abused." (Rick Warren). It is important that we identify and release our abilities for serving God. We need to make sure we use our abilities for good and not for bad.
    *Every ability can be used for God's glory*

         - 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Anything we do we can do it to bring glory to God. There is a place in your local church where your abilities can shine and make a difference. It is important for us to find where we can have our abilities shine. It may be working in the children's ministry, greeting first time guests, or being a prayer partner. 1 Corinthians 12:6 says, "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits." Find a place in your church where you can let your natural abilities shine.
     *What I'm able to do, God wants me to do*
         - We are the only person on earth that can use your abilities. No one else can play your role, its unique. This is why it is so important to discover what you are good at and what you are not good at and do it. "God will never ask you to dedicate your life to a task you have no talent in." (Rick Warren). What you are good at is an indication of what God's will for you is. "God doesn't waste abilities; he matches our calling and our capabilities." (Rick Warren). The abilities that God gives us are not just given to you to make a living but also to work in ministry. 1 Peter 4:10 says, "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." If we do not use our gifts and abilities that God has given to serve one another we are being selfish.

SHAPE: USING YOUR PERSONALITY

    - Each of of us are unique. God breaks the mold after he creates us. There is no one exactly like you. The church needs all kinds of people to balance the church. Some of us may have the same spiritual gifts but we use them differently. "You can learn from examples of others, but you must filter what you learn through your shape." (Rick Warren). Our different personalities reflect God's light in different colors and patterns. Some one may have the spiritual gift of giving and give financially and another person may have the same spiritual gift of giving and give their time. "When you minister in a manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction, and fruitfulness." (Rick Warren). Use your personality, natural abilities, and spiritual gifts and you will be satisfied.

SHAPE: EMPLOYING YOUR EXPERIENCES
    - We are all shaped by our experiences. Most of our
experiences are beyond our control. There are six kinds of experiences we go through:
    1. Family experiences - What did you learn growing up? How were you raised?
    2. Educational experiences - How much education do you have? What did you study? What was your favorite subject? How much have you grown educational through personal growth?
    3. Vocational experiences - What jobs have you had? What jobs were you good at and enjoyed?
    4. Spiritual experiences - When were the most meaningful times you had with God?
    5. Ministry experiences - In what ways have you served God in the past?
    6. Painful experiences - What did you learn from your problems, hurts, and trials?
   - God uses our painful experiences to prepare us most for ministry (God's work). "God never waste a hurt. Your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt." (Rick Warren). My greatest hurts thus far in life have led me to be a better christian. Each one has helped me grow to be a better person as painful as they have been. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." "The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life - the ones you've wanted to hide and forget - are the experiences God wants to use to help others." (Rick Warren). Each experience we go through we can use to help someone else. People are more encouraged when we share how God's grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths. Its more beneficial to show others what we have gone through and overcome rather than to

only show people are strengths. This is why social media is so bad. People only post themselves at their best so we get a false image in our head and think we are less of a person because all we see is everyone else's life going perfect. "Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you." (Alders Huxley). We need to use our pain to help others. Turn our negatives into positives by helping others grow from our mistakes and painful experiences.

Point to Ponder: Nobody else can be me.
Verse to 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 blessing." 1 Peter 4:10
Question to Consider: What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?