S.H.A.P.E. (5)

The letter E stands for experience. How can you know God’s will for your life? Paul answers, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you” (v. 2 NLT). The word transform means “to change in shape.” How is a diamond formed? It’s the result of unrelenting pressure over a long period of time. Your life’s experiences will point you toward your life’s purpose. God never wastes a pain! The psalmist said, “I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word…My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:67, 71 NLT). How do we learn to do what’s right? By experiencing the pain of doing what’s wrong. You say, “But others have mistreated me. Is that also part of God’s will for my life?” It could be. Paul wrote, “My imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered” (Philippians 1:12 MSG). Then he added, “Everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose” (Philippians 1:20-21 MSG). The reverse side of a tapestry looks like a tangled mess of threads. But that’s what it takes to produce a picture of beauty, order, and value. Getting the idea? Re-examine your life’s experiences.