You Were Shaped to Serve God

by Rick Warren — September 14, 2022
From Live Your Calling: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NCV)

No two people are the same. You are unique in every single way. You have a unique voice, eye color, and thumbprint. Even your heartbeat is unique.

God doesn’t clone anything. No one in all of history—and in all the future—is like you.

God uniquely shaped you to fulfill a unique purpose on planet Earth—to make a unique contribution. If you’ve been reading Daily Hope for a while, you’ve likely seen SHAPE, the acronym I use to describe the unique way God shaped you to serve him.

Here’s what makes up your SHAPE:

  • Spiritual gifts: When you become a Christian, God gives you special abilities so you can better serve others.
  • Heart: You have passions—things you enjoy doing. 
  • Abilities: From birth, God has given you natural abilities—anything from athletics, to art, to accounting.
  • Personality: Some people are introverts; others are extroverted. Some people love to plan everything; others work best at the last minute.
  • Experiences: God uses your experiences—family, education, occupation, emotions, and more—to allow you to help others.

No two people have the exact same SHAPE. God has made you unique, and he has unique ways he wants you to serve other people.

Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (NCV).

You’ll spend all of eternity serving God in heaven. God wants you to practice by serving other people on Earth through your good works. The Bible calls these good works your ministry.

God calls every Christian to be in ministry—not just pastors and missionaries. You can use whatever you’re good at—and all the unique ways God has SHAPEd you—to minister to others.

Talk It Over

  • How does it change your perception of yourself when you realize you were uniquely designed by God?
  • How have you used your unique SHAPE to help others?
  • What are some ways you’ve seen other people use their SHAPE to serve God and others?

You can rely on God’s promise

God has made you in his image and made you unique. But your sin separates you from God, and there’s nothing you can do to make things right. So you need someone to save you from your sins and make you acceptable to God.

That’s why God sent Jesus. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for every wrong you’ve ever done or will do. Jesus made it possible for you to have a relationship with God the Father. The Bible says,“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:22 NLT).

You can start your journey with Jesus by believing in him and confessing your sins. If you’re ready to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, start by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that he died for my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust him as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to use the ways you’ve SHAPEd me to serve you and serve others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.