I receive several devotional e-mails in the mornings and this one was so enlightening that I had to share. I’ve shared several times that I truly believe that walking with our Lord, submitting myself to Him, has made my life so very much easier than before (and much more interesting, too). While many fight (as I did for years) keeping what they think is their own identity and self worth refusing to give it up to Jesus, we were all making life so much harder. The following devotional explains why life is so much easier with Him! When I found Him, I found “ME”!
“Four Benefits of Understanding Your Uniqueness
by Rick Warren
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” (Psalm 139:14 NLT)
Once you understand your shape, it explains how you respond to authority, how you handle criticism, how you deal with confrontation, how you make friends, how you deal with guilt, why you get close to people or why you don't get close to people. Your shape explains what makes you mad, sad, worried, happy — because it's you!
There are four benefits of discovering and building your life around your “S.H.A.P.E.” (your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences):
1. It reduces stress. When you are confident in how you are shaped, you stop comparing yourself to other people. Instead, you build on your strengths, recognize your limitations, maximize what you're good at, and don't worry about the rest. It's a guaranteed stress reducer!
2. It increases success. Success is not making a lot of money; it’s knowing God's will and being right in the center of it. It’s being what God meant you to be. It's figuring out who you are and then being you!
3. It deepens satisfaction. A satisfying life is when you are doing what you're shaped to do. Freedom comes from doing what you're gifted to do and enjoying what God made you to be. When you build your life on God’s shape for you, you feel the love of God a whole lot more because you're in harmony with his plan.
4. It builds self-esteem. There's an epidemic of low self-esteem in our society today. Studies say that over 50 percent of people are in the wrong jobs. I believe that genuine self-esteem is not built on positive thinking but on two biblical truths: First, you matter to God and, second, you were shaped by God for a purpose.
Talk About It
Once you know your shape, spend some time evaluating how your time is spent. Are you pursuing activities or goals that God specifically shaped you to do?
Would you say that you have a satisfying life? What is your satisfaction or contentment based on?”
May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!
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