I am hooked on the show America’s Got Talent because it showcases a thumbnail of the uniqueness of people and the latent and surprising giftings that people have if you just give them the time and space to demonstrate. In Romans 12 Paul warns the church to be on guard against a natural malaise to fit in to other’s mold. We have created a culture of self-discontent by presenting a false virtue of a very limited view on what is celebrated. In many ways we have lost the analogy of the Body and consequently don’t live within our fulness of Body life because we do not who we are and where we fit in and we try to be what we are not.
I had a friend who was a chef for the Dining Commons at a college. No doubt, over privileged, yet to be employed emerging leaders are a pretty rough demographic when it comes to their ability to complain and critique. I asked my friend how he was able to go in day in and day out and do his very best, knowing that he would be faced with general discontent, no matter how great the food was? His answer was before I go to work every morning I look in the mirror and in the mirror and say to myself “Jesus loves me and nobody can take away my birthday!” and then I head-in to go cook for another day. Confidence in our identity in Christ is a game changer for how we approach working with, serving and leading others.
Chapters
More Resources
In addition to the book there is an
overnight SHAPE retreat to discover your:
- Spiritual Gifts
- Heartbeat
- Aptitudes and skills
- Personality
- Experiences
Here are some other resources.