S.H.A.P.E. (3)

“I take joy in doing your will, my God.” Psalm 40:8 NLT

The letter A stands for abilities. The Bible says, “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (Romans 12:6 NLT). What is your dominant gift? You say, “I don’t think I have any gifts.” No one was born without a gift! Your gift may be undiscovered, undeveloped, unused, underused, or even misused, but you have a gift. Have you ever heard the saying, “There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come”? When you put together the right opportunity with the right gift at the right time, the results can literally blow your mind. Before, life can seem like you’re just spending it surviving, when suddenly a crisis arises, a situation occurs, or a door of opportunity opens and you discover abilities that have lain dormant within you for years. Today you may feel locked into a situation with no way out, but God is a "way maker” (see 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV). Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were Jews who were taken as slaves to Babylon. Talk about being locked into a situation with no way out! But the Bible says, “God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom…Whenever the king consulted them in any matter…he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom” (Daniel 1:17, 20 NLT). Does that mean you can just sit around and wait for success to be dropped into your lap? No, the old saying “opportunity knocks” is actually not true. Opportunity waits for those who open the door and go out and look for it.

Bible in a year: 2 Corinthians 10-13