“What Are YOU Here for?”
August 5, 2007
I am still stoked over the great day I had Friday. I was invited to be involved in a multi-agency drug task force raid as their chaplain. The leader of the task force was Jeff, my neighbor. I’ve known Jeff since he was almost a rookie. Way back in the Weed PD days. Now he’s putting together multi-agency raids. I was pretty proud. Anyway, Friday morning I went over to Jeff’s house and hitched a ride with him to the CHP briefing room. The room was full of all kinds of people to make an operation like this work. Of course there were the cops. The Sheriff’s Deputies and detectives, the officers from the various Police departments, with correctional officers to deal with those apprehended. Then there was CPS to deal with any children that may need to be dealt with. There were even health inspectors to inspect some of the facilities. The DA’s office had their inspector- and so on. It was really quite impressive. They were arrayed from uniform cops, to swat combat gear to blue jeans and identifying jacket and badge. I fit right in with my PD shirt with logo and badge. I knew many of the cops from the different agency. Rusty from Shastina, Steve from Weed PD, and did I mention Ben, my son, from the S.O.? Rachel was there, too. It was a super lot of fun and a treat to be involved with n my son’s life like this.
Since I was well know and respected, they let me have a free hand in taking any pictures I wanted, too. I didn’t have much of a job description so I could just wander around and pretty much do what I wanted. I chatted with some of the guys and encouraged some that were a little nervous. After Jeff was done, he turned the guys over to me and I had a brief prayer with them and we took off to the staging area. That’s were everyone met, got their assignments, and then took off to do their raids. I was allowed to go right along with Team One. I got to see them make their entry, chase down a fleeing suspect, and watch them make their search. I have to tell you, I was impressed. It was well planned and coordinated and orchestrated. It was a very military operation. I guess I didn’t get in the way too much, they wanted me to go on another raid the next day. I declined because I had too much to do, but it was an honor and a privilege to see our officers in action.
I learned a few things, too. First, I learned that I am not qualified to be a cop. I am too gullible. I believe people. This one guy looked us right in the eye and lied about who he was. I believed him. He was so sincere! The cops didn’t. After about a half hour they were able to get enough info to get him to admit he was, in fact, the one the warrant was for. I believe people. I trust people. In the law enforcement community that is a liability – not an asset.
Secondly, I was amazed at the different kinds of talent necessary. Sure, you need the tough talkers and the intimidators, but you also need the counselors and the planners and so on. Maybe it was even a little better mission because a chaplain was there praying for God’s blessing and their safety. Each one of the task force had their own unique shape – their own blend of talent and experience that enabled them to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Each was important and each contributed in his or her own special way.
This morning I want to talk about your shape. No, I’m not talking about what you look like or if you are shaped like an apple, pear or banana – I will let you figure that shape out yourself. What I am talking about is the shape God has given each one of us to use for Him and His work. The bible says,
“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” Eph 2:10 (Living)
Do you realize that you are a piece of God’s creativity, a part of His workmanship, created to help others? Created to do good works that He planned for you to do waaaay in advance? It’s no accident you were born into this world. You are here because God wants you here. Your parents may have thought they planned for you (or may not have planned for you) but they didn’t create you. They only conceived you. God used them to bring you into this world for a very specific and important reason. You are God’s workmanship – the result of God’s engineering – and you are here to serve Him and to do ministry on His behalf. In other words, you are here to do His good works.
You are not here just to breathe air and take up space or to have as much fun as you can in the time allotted you. You are to make a difference. The overall purpose of life is to get you ready for heaven. It’s basic training. It’s life 101. This is the place where you are to practice, practice, practice – what you are going to do and be in heaven. So when you come to the end of your life, it’s not going to matter how long you’ve lived, how much money you’ve made, what a nice house you live in, or how much earth status you’ve achieved along the way. What WILL matter is how well you’ve learned and fulfilled the purposes for which God put you here for and how well you learned your earthly lessons and what you’ve done for God as one of His servant-ministers. What will matter is what you have done for others people God has put into your life. What will matter at the end of life is not the material content of your life but the contribution of your life. Not the duration of your life – but the donation of your life. Your ministry equals service for God – and you serve God by serving other people. You fulfill your ministry purpose by meeting the needs of those around you.
If you have read “The Purpose Driven Life” you probably remember the opening line. “It’s not about you.” It’s not! – as tough as that is to swallow. It’s about God – and how He wants to use you.
Job, in the midst of his suffering, probably contemplating “Why”, said,
“Your hands shaped me and made me.” (Job 10:8 (NIV)
What was true for Job is also true for you and me. God has shaped you and God has made you – and He has done it for a reason. Rick Warren says that we each are shaped for ministry. And your unique SHAPE for servant ministry is made up of five elements. Rick Warren uses the word SHAPE as an acrostic to help us understand how God shaped us for ministry.
S – Spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians, Romans 2 and Ephesians 4. He says,
“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.” Romans 12:6 (Living)
Spiritual gifts are what the Holy Spirit gives to each and every believer to do ministry. When you become a Christian, you are gifted for ministry of some kind. You may not have discovered your gifts; you may not be using them; you may not even know you HAVE them. But they are a part of who you are.
H- Heart. Another word for heart is ‘passion’. “Heart” is what motivates you. It is what energizes you. It is what grabs and holds your attention. “Heart” defines what you care most about. It is where your strongest interests, ambitions, and affections lie. It is what you get most passion about. When you are serving God from the heart you are enthusiastic about what you are doing. And you are most likely to be effective in what you are doing because you don’t mind putting your whole self into it.
A- Abilities. Abilities are the natural talent with which you are born. They are what you’re naturally good at. They are sometimes confused with spiritual gifts but he difference is that spiritual gifts are given only to believers – while everyone has talents and abilities. Abilities are LIKE spiritual gifts in the sense that they are given to you by God and can be used to glorify and serve God.
P – Personality. Your personality is your temperament, behavior, and your unique identity. It has to do with whether you are an introvert or and extrovert – a thinker or a feeler – a visionary person or a detail person. You can be an identical twin – and there is still no one in this entire world who comes anywhere close to being exactly like you. And that’s good. Every personality; every temperament; can be used in ministry. The important thing is to do ministry in ways that are consistent with who YOU are. In other words, it’s okay to be you. Just be yourself. I remember in college, some of the students would take on the mannerisms and styles of their favorite prof or preacher. Don’t do that. Just be yourself. It took me a long time to get comfortable with that and realize that it’s okay. It’s okay to be me. It’s okay to be you.
E- Experiences. In “The Purpose Drive Life”, Rick Warren lists six categories of experience. Family, educational, vocational, spiritual, ministry, and (most important of all) painful experiences. They all add up. The longer you live – the more experiences you have – and the more richness you have to bring to your ministry. In fact, sometimes our experiences enables us for ministry.
Taken together, spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences are your SHAPE for ministry. They make up the shape you have to contribute to God purpose in the world. It’s how you fit into the Kingdom building process. It’s what God has given you to serve Him. But it’s up to you to decide whether and how you will USE what you’ve been given. Listen to what Jesus says,
“… Anyone wanting to be a leader among you must be your servant. And if you want to be right at the top, you must serve like a slave. Your attitude must be like my own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life…” Matt 20:26-28 (Living)
Serving like Jesus means at least three things. First, it means being available to be used in service. It means being grateful for the opportunity to serve. And it means being faithful until the day you die.
Sometimes we just aren’t available. We are busy doing our thing or caught up in work or distracted by something unimportant. Self-centeredness sometimes makes us unavailable. Sometimes sin even makes us unavailable. God can’t use us. Sin has separated us. Are you available to be used of God for ministry?
As Jesus was available, we need to become available. Secondly, we need to have HIS attitude about it. Jesus said, “Your attitude must be like my own.” Jesus didn’t resent His ministry – He embraced it. He wasn’t reluctant – He was willing. He didn’t avoid serving – He was glad for the opportunity to do so. He was grateful to have a part in God’s plan.
A sign of spiritual maturity is getting to the place in your life where service is joyful and you are grateful for the privilege of doing it. Pray every morning. “Lord, use my hands, my voice, my heart to minister to people today.” You will get excited and energized as you see the fantastic ways in which God DOES use you to make a difference.
But anyone who has done any ministry knows that servant ministry can get difficult and discouraging at times. It can be tiring. That’s were the third lesson from Jesus comes in. Stay faithful. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t bail out when you feel unappreciated or get criticized or when things just don’t go the way you expect them to. You stay faithful. You be persistent. I guarantee that if you enter into servant ministry – you will feel this way sooner or later. And it’s just a test. We need to be tested. Peter said,
“These trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests gold and purifies it--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of his return.” 1 Peter 1:7 (Living)
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you.” 1 Peter 4:12 (Living)
John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
When it comes to your unique ministry, God needs you to be 1) available; He wants you to 2) be grateful, and 3) God expects you to be faithful to the very end. Are you ready to do it? Let’s go for it this week. Pray with me.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for the privilege of being invited to be on your team and in Your family. I accept. Forgive me and cleanse me so that I can be used of You. Thank you for including me and creating me to accomplish Your purposes. Thank You for the SHAPE I have. Help me to use them for You and for Your glory.
