Using what God gave you.

God deserves your best.

He shaped you for a purpose, and he expects you to make the most of what you have been given. He doesn't want you to worry about or covert abilities you don't have. Instead he wants you to focus on talents he has given you to use.

When you attempt to serve God in ways you're not shaped to serve, it feels like forcing a square peg into a round hole. It's frustrating and produces limited results. It also wastes your time, your talent, and your engery. The best use of your life is to serve God our of your shape. To do this you must discover your shape, learn to accept and enjoy it, and then develop it to its fullest potential.

Begin by assessing your gifts and abilities. Take a long honest look at what you are good at and waht you're not good at. Make a list. Ask other people for their candid opinion. Tell them you're searching for the truth, not fishing for a compliment. Spiritual gifts and natural abilities are always confirmed yb others. If you think you are gifted to be a teacher or a singer and one else agrees, guess what? If you want to know if you have the gift of leadership, just look over your shoulder! If no one is following you, you're not a leader.

Ask questions like these: Where have I seen fruit in my life that other people confirmed? Where have I already been successful? Spiritual gift tests and ability inventories can have some value, but they are limited in their usefulness. In the first place, they are standardized, so they don't take into account your uniqueness. Second, there are no defintions of the spiritual gifts given in the Bible, so any definitions are arbitray and usually represent a denominational bias. Anotehr problem is that the more mature you become, the more likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a numbero f the gifts. You may be serving or teaching or giving generously out of maturity rather than because it is your spiritual gift.

The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service. I could take a hundred gift and ability tests as a young man and would have never done it. It was only afer I began accepting opportunies to speak that I saw the results, received confirmation from others, and realized, "god has gifted me to do this!".

Consider your heart and your personality. Ask yourself questions: What do I really enjoy doing most? Whe do I feel the most fully alive? what am I doing when I lseo track of time? Do I like routine or variety? Do I prefer serving with a team or by myself? Am I more introverted or extroverted? Am I more a thinker or a feeler? Which do I enjoy more-competing or cooperating?

Examine your experiences and extract the lessons you have learned. Review your life and think about how it has shaped you.

Since God knows what's best for you, you should gratefully accept the way he has fashioned you.

Your shape was sovereignly determined by God for his purpose, so you shouldn't resent it or reject it. Instead of trying to reshape yourself to be like someone else, you should celebrate the shape God has given only to you.

In heaven we are going to seve God forever. Right now, we can prepare for that eternal service by practicing on earth.
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Point to ponder: God deserves my best.

Verse to remember: "Do your best to present youself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need tobe ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Question to consider: How can I make the best use of what God has given me?