In our recent move, these questions filled our home again: How does it fit? Where should it go? Where will it suit best? I imagined that the furniture asking me Where will my place be? Will I still be useful in this new atmosphere?
In life, we ask the same questions of ourselves: Where do I fit? Whether in the church, in our relationships, in our workplace, or in a new season of life, we wonder if there is a place prepared for us and whether we will be valued there.
One key to finding our place is understanding our ‘shape’. Our ‘shape’ reflects what we can do and what God wants us to do. When we discover our ‘shape’, we learn to accept it, enjoy it, and contribute in meaningful ways. And also, our shape is not static. God calls us to keep developing it, stretching our abilities, and growing in love and service.
Whatever position we hold or stage of life we are in, we are created by God. Job reminds us, “Your hands shaped me and made me” (Job 10:8). Each of us is uniquely shaped and designed, and God equips us with everything we need for the assignments he calls us to.
Rick Warren, in The Purpose Driven Life, calls this unique combination of gifts and abilities our SHAPE:
S – Spiritual Gifts
H – Heart
A – Abilities
P – Personality
E – Experiences
When we understand our SHAPE, we can accept it, enjoy it, and continue developing it. God wants us to live fully in the shape he gave us, and he will guide us to the place where we fit best. Therefore, as John Wesley encouraged us, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
Prayer
Lord, thank you for shaping us with intention and love. Help us to discover our SHAPE, embrace it fully, and use it for your purposes. Teach us to serve faithfully where you have placed us, and to grow into the fullness of your design for our lives. Amen.