Part 3: Unleashing Your S.H.A.P.E. for Life · Lesson 10

Kingdom Purpose: Grasping Your Unique Assignment

Eric Liddell, the Scottish runner whose story inspired the film Chariots of Fire, once said something that captures the very heart of this lesson:

"God made me fast, and when I run, I feel his pleasure."Eric Liddell

Liddell discovered the intersection between who God made him to be and what God made him to do. When he ran, he was not performing for an audience or chasing a medal. He was stepping into the very purpose for which God had designed him. And in that place of alignment, he experienced God's pleasure.

That is what Kingdom Purpose is all about. It is the place where your unique S.H.A.P.E. meets God's specific assignment for your life. And it is available to every believer -- not just missionaries and pastors, but teachers, mechanics, parents, artists, businesspeople, and students.

Notice several key phrases in that definition. Kingdom Purpose is specific -- it belongs uniquely to you. It is generational -- it meets the needs of your time and place. It requires total dependence on God -- you cannot accomplish it in your own strength. And it displays his love -- the fruit of your purpose is not personal fame but divine love made visible.

From Confusion to Clarity: Steve's Story

Steve was a successful businessman who had achieved every goal he had set for himself. He had the income, the title, and the respect of his peers. But inside, he felt empty. "I spent twenty years climbing the ladder," he said, "only to reach the top and realize it was leaning against the wrong wall."

Steve began working through his S.H.A.P.E. profile. He identified his spiritual gifts of leadership and administration. He recognized his passion for helping young professionals navigate career decisions. He acknowledged his natural abilities in strategic thinking and his personality trait of being methodical and disciplined. He reflected on his experiences -- both the triumphs and the painful seasons -- and saw how God had been preparing him all along.

Slowly, clarity emerged. Steve's Kingdom Dream was to create a mentoring ministry that connected seasoned Christian business leaders with young professionals entering the workforce. It was a vision he could not fulfill without God's provision and direction. And when he began living into that purpose, the emptiness was replaced by a deep sense of alignment -- the feeling that, at last, he was running the race God had marked out for him.

The GRASP Acrostic

God does not intend for Kingdom Purpose to remain vague or abstract. He gives us a clear five-step process to move from discovery to deployment. We can remember these steps with the acrostic GRASP.

G -- Get with God

Before you do anything else, ensure that God is at the center. Kingdom Purpose is not a self-improvement project. It is a God-initiated mission. If you build your purpose on your own desires rather than God's direction, you will end up with an impressive career but an empty soul.

Getting with God means spending regular, unhurried time in his presence. It means presenting your plans and dreams before him and asking, "Lord, is this from you, or is this from me?" It means surrendering your agenda and adopting his.

R -- Realize Your Kingdom Dream

A Kingdom Dream is a God-sized vision for how you can serve others and advance his kingdom. It is something you could not accomplish on your own -- it requires divine power, divine provision, and divine timing. Ask yourself: What dream or vision has God placed in my heart that I could never fulfill without him?

Kingdom Dreams often sound like this:

• "I dream of starting a ministry that provides job training for formerly incarcerated individuals."
• "I dream of creating a space where single mothers can find community, healing, and practical support."
• "I dream of using my medical training to serve in areas where healthcare is scarce."
• "I dream of writing music that helps people who are grieving find comfort in God's promises."
• "I dream of mentoring young men and women to discover their God-given purpose."

Your Kingdom Dream will be unique to you. It will reflect your heart, your experiences, and your S.H.A.P.E. If you try to copy someone else's dream, you will end up frustrated. God has a custom-designed assignment for you.

A -- Activate Your Serving Sweet Spot

Your Serving Sweet Spot is the place where your S.H.A.P.E. intersects with your Kingdom Dream. It is where who God made you to be converges with what God made you to do. To identify your Serving Sweet Spot, consider four key questions, each corresponding to one dimension of your S.H.A.P.E.:

S -- Seek Wisdom

Once you have begun to articulate your Kingdom Purpose, do not keep it to yourself. Share it with your Training Team -- your Training Partner, your Training Group, and your Board of Advisors. Ask for their feedback, their observations, and their honest assessment. Wisdom is never a solo pursuit.

Your Training Team can see blind spots you cannot. They can affirm the things that ring true and gently challenge the things that may be more about your ambition than God's calling. Listen carefully, especially when the feedback is uncomfortable.

P -- Plan Your Test-Drive

You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. In fact, God often reveals his purpose incrementally, as you take steps of obedience. The final step in the GRASP process is to create a 90-day plan for testing your Kingdom Purpose in real life.

Start small. Take one or two concrete steps that move you in the direction of your Kingdom Dream. Serve in a new area. Volunteer for a project that aligns with your Serving Sweet Spot. Have a conversation with someone who is already doing the kind of work you feel drawn to.

"Head in the direction of compassion and God will meet you there."

The goal of a test-drive is not perfection. It is obedience. As you take small steps of faith, God will refine your vision, redirect your course when necessary, and confirm the things that are truly from him.