A Real Pilgrim's Progress: A Purpose Driven Life

A Purpose Driven Life Chapter 31 - Finding Your Specific Purpose

Chapter Overview: Continuing with the SHAPE acrostic, Rick writes about our Abilities, Personality, and Experience. He equates abilities to our natural talents and had a long list of jobs in the bible of different occupations that used these.

Finding my specific purpose - many hands making a heart

2011 (40 years old)

The differentiation between these and how he described Heart wasn't entirely clear to me. This one did seem more broad and less 'spiritual' as he mentioned that 'being able to make money and grow a business' as falling into this category.

I don't remember the word that R---- stood for but Rick correlated it with personality, saying that Jeremiah was melancholic, Moses was sanguine, etc, and there is a place in God's family for every personality type.

Experience was the word for the last letter. I'm so glad he included this one because it's huge. All of our experiences have a huge influence in making who we are and what we can do. That is the reason I think I am a good teacher - because of my experiences with teachers growing up. He had a great quote about experience at the end of the chapter: 'Experience isn't what happens to you, it's what you do with what happens to you'

So what does this all mean to me? I'm good at teaching. I'm great at execution. I have no desire to be a leader at the level of a CIO. I enjoy the thought of being an author, but I'm challenged to find the time to write. I'm great with clients. I'm not great with communicating technical architecture to other architects. I'm musically gifted. I enjoy goofing around with songs with kids. I'm confident in what I know.

2016 (45 years old)

Only you can be you. No one else can be you. 'God has given each of us abilities. Be sure to use them to help one another, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings'. What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church? I like this SHAPE acrostic Rick has been working with for the past two chapters. This chapter was Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. Some good thoughts: Aldous Huxley said 'Experience is not what happens to you. It's what YOU DO with what has happened to you'. 2 Cor. 1:4 'He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us'. You personality will affect How and Where you will use you spiritual gifts and abilities.

For background on what these 'Purpose Driven Life' posts are about, click this link.

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 1 - Its Not About Me

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 2 - You Are Not an Accident

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 3 - What Drives You?

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 4 - Eternity In Our Hearts

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 5 - What is Life?

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 6 - Life on Earth is a Temporary Assignment

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 7 - The Reason for Everything

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 8 - You Were Planned for God's Pleasure

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 9 - What Makes God Smile?

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 10 - The Surrendered Life

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 11 - Friend of God

Purpose Driven Life Chapter 12 - Friend of God II