Day 31 - Understanding Your Shape

 

You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mothers womb.

 

PSALM 139:13 (Msg)

 

 

"You are a bundle of incredible abilities, an amazing creation of God.  Part of the church's responsibility is to identify and release your abilities for serving God." p242

 

"...the abilities you do have are a strong indication of what God wants you to do with your life.  They are clues to knowing God's will for you life.  If you're good at designing or recruiting or drawing or organising, it is a safe assumption that God's plan for your life includes that skill somehow.  God doesn't waste abilities; he matches our calling and our capabilities." p244 

 

"There is no 'right' or 'wrong' temperament for ministry.  We need all kinds of personalities to balance the church and give it flavour.  The world would be a very boring place if we were all plain vanilla.  Fortunately, people come in more than thirty-one flavours." p245

 

"Woodworkers know that it's easier to work with the grain rather than against it.  In the same way, when you are forced to minister in a manner that is 'out of character' for your temperament, it creates tension and discomfort, requires extra effort and energy, and produces less than the best results.  This is why mimicking someone else's ministry never works...  When you minister in a manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfilment, satisfaction, and fruitfulness." p145

 

"If you really desired to be used by God, you must understand a powerful truth: 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.  They are your ministry!" p247

 

"Only shared experiences can help other.... What will you do with what you have been through?  Don't wastes your pain; use it to help others." p248

 

 

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 blessings." 1 PETER 4:10 (LB)

 

Question to Consider:

What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?