What SHAPE are you in? No, not physically. Rather, what is it that you have been shaped by God to do? Often times, people feel unsatisfied with what they are doing, or where they are going in life, because they are not doing what God fashioned them to do. They may be busy, but their busyness may come from the fact that they are running around trying to find purpose in their life, but all they are doing is filling up their lives with stuff that God didn’t intend for them, and as a result, life is stressful.  

Stop and consider a question for a moment. “Are you stressed?” Do you ever find that there is always more to do and less time to do it in? If you answered, “yes,” there’s a good chance that you are trying to do more than what God created you for. God didn’t create us to be stressed out, but, rather, to live a life of joy and purpose.

S.H.A.P.E. is an acronym that helps explain the five elements that determine what a person was created for. What ministry they should be involved in. To a great extent, your SHAPE effects how you think, motivate, play, work, minister, interact with others and even how you live.

When we have some understanding about our SHAPE, we begin to see why some tasks, challenges, and even people are a natural fit for us and yet others just stress us out.

Your SHAPE is made up of your:

SPIRITUAL GIFTS - The special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer, to be used to minister to others and therefore build up the Body of Christ. Spiritual gifts reveal part of God’s will for your ministry, but not all of it. If you would like to know more about your Spiritual Gift(s), take the Spiritual Gifts Analysis Test. 

HEART (passions) – This represents your desires, interests and inclinations. Your heart determines why you say the things you do (Matt. 12:34), why you feel the way you do (Psalm 34:7), and why you act the way you do (Proverbs 4:23). There are certain things you feel passionate about and others turn you off. God has a purpose in giving you your inborn interests; don’t ignore them! They will help you be fruitful in ministry.

ABILITIES - These are the natural talents, skills and abilities that you were born with and have acquired during your life. Exodus 31:3 tells us that God gives people “skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts…” in order to accomplish His purposes.

PERSONALITY - We need all kinds of personalities to accomplish God’s will. Your personality will affect how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities. For instance, two people may have the same gift, but if one is introverted and the other is extroverted, that gift will be expressed in different ways. To learn more about your “personality type”, take the Personality I.D. Assessment.

EXPERIENCES - “And we know that in alll things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). All experiences – good, bad, educational, work related, volunteer, church, secular – help make us who we are.

Now that I know my SHAPE, where do I go from here?

Every believer is uniquely SHAPEd for a particular ministry. Knowing your SHAPE will help you determine what type of Ministry God wants you to serve in. No matter what your personal or professional “calling”, God has called you to develop your personal Mission, and, by His power, to walk out your Vision in today’s world. When you minister in a manner consistent with your heart, personality, gifts and abilities God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction and fruitfulness.

God deserves your best. He SHAPEd you for a purpose, and He expects you to make the most of what you have been given! Don’t let another day go by. Find out today what God intends for you to be and do!

Once you understand your God-given SHAPE, don’t keep it a secret!

Share your SHAPE with your church family and begin experiencing fulfillment, satisfaction and fruitfulness in serving God and others!