What's your shape?

It has been said that each of has a particular shape, not just our physical shape, but also all the components that make us who we are. 

SHAPE can be an acronym for Spiritual Gift, Heart, Abilities, personality and Experience.

At the time of our spiritual birth we, when we first trust Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we also receive a spiritual enabling, or expression of his grace which is commonly referred to as a spiritual gift. There are lists of these Spiritual gifts in the Bible; 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. Every believer is given a particular gift for he or she to use to help build each other up and to make God known in their world.

Along with the gift we receive, we each have a heart or passion for some particular aspect of life. We may be passionate about social justice, the poor or the lost. We may have a real heart concern for the sick or for prayer, for teaching or for doing practical things. Our passion is what excites and motivates us. What motivates you – what do you get passionate about? If you had the chance to choose, what would you like to do more than anything else right now? What do you like to do more than anything else? This is your passion, or your heart.

All of us are born with certain abilities and talents that we need to develop through life. We may do this through education, training and practice. Unfortunately it is possible to have these abilities within us and to leave them undeveloped. Perhaps we have been afraid of trying something through lack of confidence, or because of the reaction of others. Or may be the first time we tried we failed or maybe our parents steered us into some other activity. All of us, however do have abilities, some are practical, some relational, some academic. Some are good managers; others good at public speaking while others are expert in the garden or in sport. Whatever it is, you have God given abilities that are specific to you and which need developing.

Our personality comes from both our heritage and our environment. 

Some of us are outgoing and love to be the centre of attention, while others are more retiring and prefer the back seat. There are those who can’t keep still for a moment and others who are, much more relaxed and easy going. One person may have a strong need to succeed while another is happy to be one of the crowd and just blend in. We are all different – but we all have personality! Your personality is unique to you, it is who you are, and you don’t need to be like someone else to be significant.

Every person’s experience is peculiar to them; no one else can live your experience, although you may be able to share what you learned from it with others. Only you can live your own experience, it helps make you the person you are, fashions the way you think and respond to circumstances and determines how you respond to your world.

Each of us has a different shape – and that is the way God intended it. He has molded you so that you fit exactly into his family the way he wants you to. You don’t need to be the same shape as everyone, or even anyone else, only someone of your exact shape will fit into the place God has prepared.

Don’t try to change your shape – instead, find the place where you fit.

Created for a Purpose!

Your life is not a matter of random events  - you were created. Not only that but you were created by God for a purpose. 

In his letter to the Galatian Christians, the apostle Paul explains the basis for his calling as an apostle. He states that he was set apart in his mother’s womb, called to be a preacher. Some 600 years earlier, Jeremiah is told by God that he had been consecrated and set apart as a prophet even before he was born. God knew him intimately and had formed him with this purpose in mind. Psalm 139:13-16 reminds us that the way we are put together in the womb and even the fact of our conception was not a random act of chance but was according to the design and intention of Almighty God.

Like these mighty men of God, you too were planned for a purpose. God put you together in such a way that you would be entirely suited to fulfill the purposes he has for you. More than that, the events of your life, your history and all that it contains continues to mold and shape you according to his master design.We make think we are inadequate or unsuited to our God given task – Jeremiah complained he was too young, Moses thought he couldn't speak, even Amos said that he was neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet – just a herder of sheep (Amos 7:14)! Time and again God uses the most ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God has a plan for each one of us and he prepares us, putting us together exactly as he wishes so that we are able to do his will.

Sometimes the events of life seem unfair and even painful. Things happen to us that we don’t understand and we may even suffer personal harm or loss. It is never God’s desire to cause us suffering and yet it is often these very sufferings that build our character. While God doesn't initiate this hurt or suffering he does allow it and then turns it around to build us up and prepare us for the greater purposes he has planned for us. All the events of your life, your parentage, schooling, career, relationships and so on combine together to make you the person you are today. Each step of your journey is a building block that God is using to make you into the temple he chooses to dwell in and which he intends to use for his glory. Too often we hear, and perhaps even say, “if only I was like so-and-so, then I could do that”, or “If only I had done this or that”, or "I wish I were somebody else”, “when this or that happens, then I’ll serve God”. God knows you, and chooses you – as you are- to accomplish his purposes. He doesn't want you to be like someone else or to wait for some unfinished work to be completed before you embark on the journey he has planned for you. He wants you as you are, with him as your constant companion, ready to do his will.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead us along the journey God has set ahead of us. While his leading is very much related to the conduct of our everyday lives, it has the significance of directing the course of your life, first preparing then leading you into an adventure with him that will see you accomplishing things you never thought were possible.

Like Moses, Jeremiah and many others beside expect to hear the voice of God telling you that he has plans for you. Determine today, that when you hear his voice you won’t resist him or make excuses about why you cannot do what he asks, instead embark on the great adventure of ministry he has prepared for you from before you were even born and which he has equipping you for ever since.

Building the Wall

Building the Wall

Ezekiel 22:30

Our cities are in danger of being overrun with evil. Their walls are in disrepair

It seems that violent crimes are on the increase, incidence of drug abuse is soaring, childbirth outside of marriage is accepted as normal, abortion is seen as a woman’s right and should be exercised if a career is threatened or a financial burden produced, smoking, obesity and alcohol pose huge costs to the health budget, interest in the occult is increasing and schools are routinely guarded by armed police. In this climate of social dis-ease God looks for someone to stand in the gap, to rebuild the defenses of society and is amazed that he can find no one.

The consequence of someone not standing in the gap of their community’s walls is to have that community destroyed. God has placed you in the place you are in for a purpose, so that you can watch out for those under your care. He wants you to pray for them, fight for them, act on their behalf and to protect them against the enemy. God says through Isaiah the prophet that he looked for someone to intercede on behalf of the people but he could find no one. When he looks out at your community, workplace or city what does he find? Does God see watchmen and women at the gate crying out day and night so that God’s praise will fill the city, does he see others warning the people of the danger to come and urgently calling the people to change their ways? Is he able to find those who cry out against social injustice and who do their best to change the circumstances of the poor and the oppressed? Or when he looks at the Christian community does he find complacent Christians enjoying a season of praise and worship as they congratulate each other on how well their ‘church’ is going and how good the music program is?

We live in a between time, the time between the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and his return in glory. We eagerly anticipate that return, but until he comes God has given us a ministry to fulfill. He has placed you in the family, marketplace and the city you are in so that you can watch over them. He has called you to be watchmen and women who will take seriously the responsibility to care for his people. We live in desperate times, the people need a saviour and they need someone to lead them. God has given this responsibility to you. The task is urgent, no one knows how long it will be before the return of the Lord but right now the enemy is camped at the gate looking for an opportunity to force his way in and loot, rape and pillage the people of God’s possession. How well do you know your enemy, are you are aware of his strategies and devices for leading people astray? Have you identified the weaknesses in your community’s defenses that he will exploit and have you recruited others to work side by side with you on the wall so that your defense is secure?

When Nehemiah organized the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem he made sure that everybody knew their place on the wall. They all had a job to do and there were others who guarded them while they worked. Each of us has a role in building the walls of God’s kingdom and it is essential we know what part of the wall we are supposed to be building. If there is someone missing from the wall, or if they have not done their part then the defenses may be breached. It is not up to the unsaved of our cities to build the walls against Satan, it is up to you and me. We need to identify the places of corruption and bring them before God in intercession. We need to speak prophetically against the injustice and moral sickness that permeates our society and we need to warn our children of the dangers they face. We must watch over our cities, we must watch out for our cities and we must protect our cities and pray for their welfare. For those engaged in the marketplace, apply this principle to the place where you work. God is looking for someone who will stand in the gap and build up the wall – will that be you? 

Protecting the Marketplace

Protecting the Marketplace  Jeremiah 31:6 

Another word used to describe the role of the watchman is nāsar, which means to safeguard and keep something in one’s care. God describes himself this way when he speaks of his role as the keeper or watchman over all men (Job 7:20, Isaiah 27:3) but the word is also used to guard material things, possessions or the fortifications of a city. In Jeremiah 4:16,17 the watchman keeps guard around a besieged city stopping those inside from receiving help or deliverance. The watchman is to protect those in his or her care and take whatever action necessary to prevent any harm from coming to the city.

In earlier times a necessary part of the defence of any city was the city wall. This wall prevented invaders from gaining entrance unobserved, but also only allowed people to leave through its gates. It was essential that the wall be maintained properly and that the watchmen stay at their appointed places so that they could sound the alarm in the case of any attack or threat. If the wall was breached, the defence of the city was at risk. Our modern cities generally do not have walls, although some of the more affluent suburbs have ‘gated’ communities, which prevent undesirables from gaining access, but there are still cities around the world that have walls from an earlier time in their history. I worked for a time in a maximum security prison which was surrounded by a wall on which were located watchtowers where armed guards were stationed to both keep prisoners from leaving, but also to prevent unwanted visitors from gaining access. The wall was an essential part of the prison’s security, regular checks were made on its condition, and the guards were often subjected to surprise visits to make sure they were alert. There are spiritual walls around our communities and workplaces on which watchmen have been placed, but which must also be kept in good repair. The enemy is always looking for a breach in the wall through which he can gain entrance, and our responsibility is to ensure that such an opportunity does not exist.

In describing the role of the prophet in Isaiah 58, God reminds them of their responsibility to speak on his behalf, warning the people about the consequences of their sin. He goes on the say that if the people were to listen to his message and change their ways, doing as he asked them then they would be called repairers of the breach and restorers of the streets where people live (Isaiah 58:12). This passage gives us a clue about how we are to act if we are to protect our communities against the attacks of the enemies. Essentially what God was telling the people to do was to look out for the poor, the needy and the afflicted. Perhaps the greatest opportunity we give to the devil to do mischief in our communities is through the areas of poverty, affliction and misery, if we are to deny these opportunities then we must repair the breaches in our walls.

Sadly many Christians live almost entirely unaware of the social needs of their communities, they don’t know any poor people, they are ignorant of the misery and affliction suffered by many and fail to see the need around them. There are Christian employers who deny decent working conditions to their employees and while they live luxuriously complain bitterly about having to pay even an award wage or provide mandated benefits. The watchman will repair these breaches, not only will he or she speak out against injustice they will also work to bring it to an end. As a watchman you will work hard to build up the fortifications around your city, community, workplace. You will identify areas of weakness in your defences and strengthen them. You will also warn the members of your community of the approaching danger and remind them that God will hold them responsible for the way that they live. What’s the condition of the wall where you have been stationed, is it in need of repair – then now is the time to go to it!