Maximizing Your Effectiveness: How to Discover and Develop Your Divine Design, 2nd Edition

Christians who want to know and do God’s will for their lives often struggle to figure out what it is. This book will help them to get rid of some misconceptions about what God’s will can be, and in the process, it will give them good reasons to celebrate their gifts and talents. They will discover an important truth about the way God created people.Christians are just like snowflakes – each one is unique.This is the deep message of "Maximizing Your Effectiveness" by Aubrey Malphus. The subtitle – How to discover and develop your divine design – gives it all away. There are as many ways to serve the Lord as there are people to do the serving. We aren’t different because something went wrong; we are different because something very right is at work. God created each of us to be unique and special in his kingdom. Aubrey Malphus has put together a book that can help people discover their own uniqueness.Some will say that they have done personality assessments and the skills and gifts listings completely to death. They are probably right. We encounter these things in such piecemeal fashion that we think we have done with them, and we don’t like the piecemeal results. The difference between this encounter and others is that Malphus has put order into the process.This book could be a tool that a church uses to help each adult member find a way to serve the kingdom of God in a way that is essential, fruitful and fulfilling. If it is handled like the sorting bins in an orchard, it will crush the creativity of members by making them feel like objects. If the book takes precedence over the work of the Holy Spirit in each individual, that would be an abuse of its purpose. If it is handled as a gift in which the Holy Spirit can speak to each member and gently nudge every person to real personal fulfillment, it could be very useful.The book can be used by an individual alone, too. It isn’t necessary for a church to adopt it as part of the program of ministries. I have reached a place in life where I think I pretty well know who I am and how I am designed. I took the assessments without knowing where they would lead, and I felt that the outcome was realistic and usable. I am not a psychologist or a counselor. I just followed directions and responded honestly.This book could be a great tool for a church to use in helping members figure out where they fit in. The breadth of the assessment of talents should once and for all destroy any sense that some jobs in the church family are “just” support while others are ministries. All the effort required to make the church work is part of the ministry, just as all the effort required to take care of a family is part of the family. There are no high callings or low callings. Everyone is called to the same discipline – to deny self, to follow Christ, and to use his or her talents as stewards of God’s gifts in service to God’s kingdom.Every Christian can find value in the book, because it goes beyond merely surveying gifts, talents and personality. It is also a wonderful introduction to the vast spectrum of ministries in the kingdom of God."Maximizing Your Effectiveness" shines bright light on the path going forward to rich, fulfilling service and obedience to Christ.

This book has been very helpful in the context of ministry. Reading this book gave me some excellent tools to move forward in the calling that the Lord has on my life.

It's an okay book with some decent theology. It's so relative and the gifts of the Spirit could come at any time. Good to think about though.

did not like the business oriented perspective that is placed over christian service. Also I found the self love section to be not accurate in terms of who is a actually capable of real love. Only God is good and full of love and capable of real love. So how can human self love be fulfilling?! Some of the tests were ok. Gives you another perspective.

From the heading given above, I am obviously a Malphurs' fan. He consistently provides titles that are helpful for ministry, and this one is no exception. Here he brings together advice on vision, spiritual gifts, personality, leadership style and natural gifts into one integrated volume.Unlike many of his other books, this book focuses not on the church but on the individual. I recommend it for any Christian desiring greater insight as to how God desires to use him in ministry. This one is well-worth the price!

This book helps break down all the positives and negatives of your personal effectiveness. It helps you map out a plan to become more effective as a leader. Great for self reflection and improvement.

This book will help anyone that takes the time to read it, discover their unique design for success in this world so they can amass God's rewards in the next.

Excellent and edifying book! My direction in life and ministry has been clarified and refined. I have gained a sense of contentment in ministry and I gave up striving for what I thought I wanted.Daniel Mashtare

great