Discover Your Unique Design
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Pt. 1 Transcript
What bothers you? What really gets under your skin? Pay close attention, because it might be exactly what God is calling you to fix.
In 1st Samuel 17, David is tasked with bringing some supplies to his brothers who are on the front line fighting against Goliath. He gets there and he's a bit surprised because all of the people he knows are looking a little scared, and he's going, “Now, we know who we have on our side. So why are we not fighting again?”
King Saul sees him and says, "Man, you're not able to take care of this; you don't have the skills, you don't have the expertise or the experience to take on this challenge.”
David looks at him and basically says, “I may not have gone up against a Goliath before, but let me tell you, I have gone up against a lion and a bear when they were trying to take or eat my father's sheep. So I might not have exact experience, but I have some experience with God being able to help me through battles with things that have come to harm me, have come to make me doubt if God is with me, or have come to cause me harm. And I know that God was able to get me through those things. So if he was able to do it then, He can definitely do it again.”
Because David had stepped up in those times, and cultivated his talents and his skills, when God gave him that unique prompting and agitation of seeing Israel shrink back in a situation, when they should have been fighting for, leading the charge, going after this group of people who were coming to say that as Philistines, we can overtake your country, your nation. And they was like, no, that's not the case because I know who we serve and I know what we can do.
Regardless of what may look like incompatibilities or things that may be hindrances on our side, we're not as big as Goliath is. So he had some definite advantage, but David remembered the things that God had uniquely equipped him with. He remembered his track record with God, and he remembered the skills that God had equipped him with.
And so as we keep going through the chapter, we see David go back to what he knew, the task, that he would normally perform in executing his duties. In verse 40, he takes his staff and he chooses 5 stones, smooth stones. so they can fly easily and have no friction. See, that's experience because a novice might have picked up something that had rough edges that might have gotten caught in the air, which could change direction.
But he knew from doing this before, a smooth stone would be helpful. So then David moves out and he has his sling in his hand and he takes his 1st steps. And Goliath looking is looking at him like, okay, um.
This little guy think he's going to be able to take me. Probably not. And that's what we see in verse 42.
He saw David and he disdained him. Like, he's a young guy. He's red looking, and he looks kind of fair.
He doesn't look like he can fight. So what, on our appearance, uh, to others may seem like we are unqualified. It could actually work to our benefit because David's appearance disarmed Goliath, right?
He was not expecting something great to come from something that did not look the way that he expected it. And David told him, I have come. to do what these other soldiers and even my king will not do. And I will give your flesh into the files of the year, into the beast of the field.
That what he says in verse 42. And then that he's basically saying, I will defeat you. In this battle, I will be victorious.
And so, when he said that in verse, The following verses 45 through the rest of the chapter, we see David saying, God will deliver you into my hand, and I will have the victory. I will be able to do this because God is with me. And when this happens, everyone will know that God has saved us and that he has given you into our hands.
And so Goliath basically said, okay, let's go. And he ran through or ran to meet David, and David did the same. And he put his hand in his bag.
He took a stone and he slang it. And he smoked the Philistine in his forehead. And when the stone sunk into his forehead, he fell upon his face to the earth.
That's verse 49. And in verse 50, we see David prevailing over the Philistine with something simple, something he had used many times before. Something that was coming to him.
But in battle, it had been perfected, and God used it with his unique design. To smite Goliath and to give victory to Israel. And so I want to ask, what is your unique design?
God has created all of us. And when he did that, he placed unique and distinct agitations that are tied to our calling and our personality. Sometimes even to our appearance as we see in David's story.
These are some of the tools that God uses along with our willingness to gain the experience, the education, and the expertise through our individual effort to mature those things, to bring about the impact, the income, and the influence. He is uniquely designed each of us to make. So don't try to copy what someone else is doing.
Embrace your unique design. You were literally made for this.
Pt. 2 Transcript
So remember. When you are put in positions, That may seem common, that may feel hidden, Don't neglect to hone your gift. Take that time to become an expert in the thing that God has called you to for that time, in that season, in that place, with those resources that he has provided.
It may seem common. But in God's hands, it becomes an uncommon opportunity for your unique design to shine through. And sometimes others may in their effort to help you, guide you and support you, they may offer something that worked for them.
Because King Saul actually offered David his armor. And David tried it on, but he said, I, this does not work for me. It is not a fit.
I can't do the things that I know I need to do if I am following and using this design. And so he had to reject that and trust that how God made him. The resources God provided, the skills God had allowed him to home, the instincts that God had placed inside of him.
He had to trust. That that was enough. He had to trust that if he put it in God's hands, that God would use it for his good, and for the ultimate victory and glory that God needed and was seeking, and had designed for that moment and in that environment.
And so for us, as we are designing our businesses, as we are curating our lives. We have to remember those things as well. What is the through line?
What is the thing that no matter what we do, it always rises to the surface. David was skilled, whether he was in the field, or he was on the battlefield. He still used his stones.
That did not change the environment around him did. So in your business, as things happen and you mature and you serve your clients, and you grow, what's your through line? What is the thing that you consistently see?
Year over year, client to client. Environment to environment. Because it's not so much the method.
And how it's applied. It is what is that key thing that continues to show up? Because God may change the vehicle, right?
For David, he used it originally to protect flock, his father's flock, and to protect animals. But he honed it in that season, so when it was time, to protect a literal nation and people. The skill was sharpened, and it was ready to use.
So think about your business. What is that one thing that continues to come up? Is it your ability to immediately strategize when you hear a problem, your brain immediately goes into solution creation?
How do we address it? How do we strategize it? How do we mitigate impact?
How do we decrease risk? How do we optimize performance? Is that where your brain goes, no matter if you're talking to a friend or family member?
Or if you are operating in your business and talking to a client, or if you are working on your own internal operations, do you immediately see strategy and solutions? Or are you a systems person? As soon as you walk into a room or a new environment, your brain observes and then automatically starts to categorize.
It starts to put things in flow and process so that it makes sense to you and you can easily communicate that or improve upon it. Just by observing and being in that space. Your brain immediately says, okay, if this is step 3 that actually needs to be step one so that everybody's on board first, then we move into making sure we have all of our resources.
Then we build out our system of how we will implement this process, and then we decide who's responsible for each task, what those tasks should be, what the timeline is, how we report it and record it, and then how we will come back on a regular basis to make sure that things are progressing as they should, to troubleshoot, and then bring this project to a close. Does your mind work like that? Or do you immediately see connections between people and environments?
And you're a natural connector. You have a conversation with someone, and as soon as they say a certain word, your brain goes to 3 different people, you can connect them with 3 different resources that would be beneficial to them. 3 different ways and of software that can come in and help to improve efficiency in their business. Think about what is common to you.
What is something that comes naturally to you, that you can easily duplicate no matter the environment. That is a part of your unique design. And also don't forget to consider your natural character, your personality, your tendencies, for some who are called to more intimate advising or strategy.
You will likely have a personality that will allow you to connect with people easily, to understand what they are saying, to be able to translate their symptoms into an actual problem or opportunity, and give them ways that they can execute or move forward in that process, to solution, or to capitalize on that opportunity. But your personality has to be such that you can listen. That you can connect with people, that you can hear the things that are not being said, that you can discern what is actually happening in the situation with limited information sometimes, to be able to offer advice and counsel of how they move forward.
For others who may be called to businesses that are driven by volume, you likely will have more of an outgoing personality, more of an extrovert, because you need to be able to touch and reach. And engage with large numbers of people to make sure that the volume that is needed to sustain your business is there. So don't underestimate or overlook.
Your personality design as well. And then also realize that those things working in tandem are your unique value proposition. That is a business term for saying, how do you stand out in the market?
What makes your business different? They're 30,000 designers. Why would I choose you?
And you can look to those 2 things. To help you further clarify and define how you stand out, why your unique clients will work with you versus a different brand. If we go back to the idea about volume, if you are a volume marketer and someone that looks like reach the masses and very large amounts of people, you may not work well for a trust-based business that likes to go deep with clients instead of broad.
Right? Because the clients who are looking to go one to one, maybe looking for more intimate conversation, more depth, more ability to have a conversation, and to have a long term engagement versus coming in for one solution, and then being able to move on. So thinking about that in how you build your business and also in the clients that you are attracting, what, in your unique design, can help you define that unique value proposition that helps you see yourself clearly in the market, so you're not chasing, um, a coat of armor when you need to be using smooth stones in a sling.
But also so you can identify and more easily connect with and convert the clients that you are looking to serve. Because your marketing, your operations, your process, all of those things need to support the type of business that you want to run. They need to help you.
Operate your best as a founder, as a business owner, so it needs to be a part of how you design your week and your business, then it also helps to color how you serve your clients and who you serve because not everyone will be a match for your unique value proposition. So use that one to understand how God has designed you. How both your experience, your expertise, your education, and your effort, in partnership with your personality, and even sometimes your appearance can be a part of the story and the ministry that God is calling you to in life and in business.
And then understand how those things can help you design a business that supports your unique design and personality that's not at odds with it. That can help you clarify your position in the market. So your clients understand the difference between what you offer and what other firms offer and help you further define and clarify who you want to serve and how you want to show up.
So take that and know that God has made you to stand out. He's not called you to shrink back. He's not called you to look at the difference between other people and compare yourselves and say you don't measure up like the nation was doing before David got there.
He is calling you to recognize all of the things that he has put inside of you. The unique ways he has designed you. And to take that and to step boldly forward.
In your physical motion, also in your mental state, because before David moved physically, his mind was sure. That God had prepared him for this moment, and that God would give him the victory. So take that with you, CEOs, into this month, into this week.
And remember that God has you here for a reason. You are unique in your design and you are unique in the calling that he has placed on your life. We are all here to further the kingdom through the gospel mission.
And then each vocationally, through ministry, through our families, and through our lives, God has given us each a unique calling to move forward. Let's honor that by honoring and understanding our unique design. And if you aren't sure, take a moment to pray.
Ask those around you what they have seen, and look for the through line in your life and in your business. Those things that feel common to you, that you can do so easily that in your sleep, you almost feel like you can do it and not think about it. What is that and how does it show up?
in these different areas of your life, and how might God be calling you to cultivate that? in your leadership, in your business, and in your life. All right.
I pray that this will help you lead better, and that it will help you live well.
This is Dr. Lorin Carter, The Corporate Consultant.
Until next time, have a good one, y'all.
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