Your shape is YOU; the intricate, unique design of your body. In order for us to live out God's will for our lives, we have to know and understand our shape so that we can recognize where Christ wants to use us. SHAPE is an acronym that stands for 5 things: spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. When you know your shape, you can better fulfill God's plan.
When God created us, He shaped and molded us to serve Him. That is our ultimate purpose on this earth. God has carefully thought out exactly what He wants you and I to do, and He created us with the ability to accomplish those things.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The first factor for us to understand is our spiritual gifts. When you accepted Christ as your Savior, you were given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit. Not all of us have the same gifts, which is why God tells us that we should work together for the edification of the church. In the same way, our gifts our not for our personal benefit, but for the benefit of others.
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
When each of us in the body of Christ understands what our spiritual gifts are, we are all encouraged and benefited by them. That is how a church and ministry thrives. Even in our small ministry, I can see how God uses certain people to do certain things. For example, Becky is a super cool html wiz and made our template. I have tried before, and pretty much fail at all thing html and css. If I was the only person involved in iheart, then we may have a good picture every once in awhile, but we would be lacking in many other areas. :)
God wants us to open and discover our gifts so that we can find ways to use them for His glory and to ultimately bring others to Him. Maybe take some time this week to think and pray that God will reveal to you what gifts you have. It's also very helpful to ask your parents and family members what they think your spiritual gifts might be. Those are the people who see you in action! They may notice something about you that you've never thought of before.
Spiritual gifts are important for us to consider when figuring out our shape, but they are not the only factors for us to consider. Next up, I'll be talking about your heart!
In His Love,
Jessica
1 comment:
This is such a good post. It got me thinking about my spiritual gifts. I think God has blessed me with singing and music gifts; communication; and preaching. But I'm open to whatever His Arms want me to go. :)
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