Part 1: Uncovering Your S.H.A.P.E. · Lesson 1
You are God's work of art, custom-designed for a purpose only you can fulfill.
Imagine walking through an art gallery where every painting is a reproduction. Each one looks identical to the last, mass-produced without thought or care. There is nothing distinctive, nothing that makes you pause and wonder. Now imagine a gallery filled with originals -- each piece unique, each one bearing the unmistakable signature of the artist who poured time and vision into its creation. There is a world of difference between the two.
The Bible says you belong in the second gallery. You are not a copy. You are not an assembly-line product, mass-produced without any thought. You are a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece. The God of the entire universe began making a masterpiece of you even as you were taking shape in your mother's womb. God himself is the one who breathed life into you.
The Greek word Paul uses in Ephesians 2:10 is poiema, which literally means "work of art." It is the root of our English word poem. You are a work of God -- and nothing but the highest and best comes from his hand. Like the artist who takes scrap metal and turns it into an amazing sculpture, God takes our lives and fashions them into a masterpiece.
Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa, Beethoven created one Fifth Symphony, and God made one version of you. You are more than a coincidence of chromosomes and heredity, more than just an assemblage of somebody else's lineage. You are uniquely made. Can you be anything you want to be? Not necessarily. But can you be everything God wants you to be? Yes -- and you become that by discovering your uniqueness.
There is another image the Bible gives us to understand how God shapes us -- the image of a potter working at his wheel. In Jeremiah 18, God tells the prophet to visit the potter's shop. Jeremiah watches as the potter shapes clay on his wheel. When the jar does not turn out as he had hoped, the potter simply squashes it back into a lump and starts again.
"O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand."Jeremiah 18:6 (NLT)
Here God gives us a clear, beautiful picture of his relationship to us. He is the master craftsman; we are like clay in his hands. His role is to carefully shape us; ours is to remain pliable, allowing him to do so. When clay is pliable, it requires just a small amount of pressure to shape it. When clay is stiff and resistant, a lot more pressure is needed. The question is: will you remain pliable in the Potter's hands?
You were not created to conform. You were not created to compare. You were not created to compete. You were not created to compromise. You were created to contribute to God's kingdom and make a significant difference with your life. God is saying to each of us: "Just be you. Be who I shaped you to be. Do what I planned for you to do. Serve beyond yourself."
God created you as a unique masterpiece because he has a specific purpose for your life -- a unique "contribution" that only you can make. The S.H.A.P.E. concept, developed by Rick Warren, describes five specific characteristics that reveal how God has equipped you for that contribution:
A set of special abilities that God has given you to share his love and serve others. These are God-given capabilities, given at conversion by the Holy Spirit, to strengthen the body of Christ.
The special passions God has given you so that you can glorify him on earth. Your heart is your unique emotional "heartbeat" -- the things that drive you, the people you care about, the needs that move you to action.
The set of talents that God gave you when you were born, which he also wants you to use to make an impact for him. These are your natural-born strengths, distinct from your spiritual gifts.
The special way God wired you to navigate life and fulfill your unique Kingdom Purpose. Your personality is not an accident -- it is part of God's custom design for your life.
Those parts of your past, both positive and painful, which God intends to use in great ways. Nothing in your story is wasted in God's hands.
Rick Warren writes: "Wise stewardship of your life begins by understanding your shape. You are unique, wonderfully complex, a composite of many different factors. What God made you to be determines what he intends for you to do. Your ministry is determined by your makeup." If you don't understand your shape, you end up doing things that God never intended or designed you to do. When your gifts don't meet the role you play in life, you feel like a square peg in a round hole.
Your unique purpose is more than a career. It is a special commissioning from God to make a significant difference on this earth. It is what we call your Kingdom Purpose -- your specific contribution to the body of Christ, within your generation, that causes you to totally depend on God and authentically display his love toward others, all through the expression of your unique S.H.A.P.E.
Most people tend to define their purpose by one of three things: trends, what others tell them, or by truth. When we let trends guide our life, we simply live to fit into the current styles of the world. When we let others tell us what we should be doing, we live to please them and win their approval. But when we let God's truth define our Kingdom Purpose, we are able to lead a life of lasting significance, fulfillment, and Kingdom impact.
It doesn't matter that your life doesn't look like God's masterpiece yet. Great art takes time. God's Word promises that he will keep working on you until the artwork of your life is just as fine as that of Jesus himself. Think of each of the lessons that follow as a specific color God will use to bring your masterpiece to life. Let him bring out the details in your life that he wants to use for his glory.
Every journey has a starting point. Before you move forward, take a moment to mark where you are right now. Read each statement below and select the number that best describes your current status: 3 = yes, 2 = somewhat, 1 = no.
| Statement | Score |
|---|---|
| My unique God-given purpose in life is clear. | |
| My spiritual gifts are being expressed. | |
| My passions are being utilized for God. | |
| My natural abilities are being used to serve others. | |
| My personality is helping me serve others. | |
| My purpose capitalizes on many of my experiences. | |
| My life is completely surrendered to God. | |
| My attitude and actions reflect a servant heart. | |
| My accountability to others is consistent. | |
| My schedule shows how I am investing in others. | |
| My plan to fulfill my purpose from God is set. |
Your Total Score: 0 out of 33
Focused Kingdom Purpose (25+ points): Your God-given strengths seem clear and your specific purpose from God is concise. Your life is in balance and providing lasting fulfillment. This course will help you further clarify what God has given you and give him the opportunity to affirm what you already are doing on his behalf.
Fragmented Kingdom Purpose (15-25 points): Your God-honoring purpose seems cluttered. Your strengths are somewhat confused due to overextension in many areas of life. This course will help bring greater clarity to your God-given strengths and the specific purpose for which God made you.
Frustrated Kingdom Purpose (under 15 points): You are confused about your specific purpose in life for God. You lack a clear idea of who you are and few clues about what God made you to do. Thank God for putting a tool in your hands that will replace your confusion with his clarity and confidence.
Now that you know where you are today, where would you like to be by the time you finish this course? Write a brief note to God, asking him to help you see how special you are and the specific purpose he has just for you.
Test your understanding of the five S.H.A.P.E. components.
1. What does the "S" in S.H.A.P.E. stand for?
2. Which of the following best describes what the "H" in S.H.A.P.E. refers to?
3. According to the lesson, which of these was NOT listed as something you were NOT created to do?
Take a moment to consider what stirred in your heart during this lesson. Do you believe you are God's masterpiece? What would change in your life if you fully embraced that truth? If you are journeying through this course with a friend or small group, share your assessment score and your note to God with them. Their encouragement and perspective can help you see yourself more clearly as you begin this journey of discovery.