Day 7. The Reason For Everything

It's all for Him.

This I have been taught ever since I became involved in church. However I have never fully realised it, or tried to apply it to my life. Where the previous days talked about the three life truths that the Bible gives us, this chapter reminds us who everything is about in the end.

It's more than just returning to heaven one day, its living for God today.

The book gives us five ways to bring glory to God.

We bring glory to God by:

By worshipping Him.
By loving other believers.
Becoming like Christ.
By serving others with our gifts.
By telling others about Him.

I have been taught these truths since being reborn. But never have I been challenged like this: What Will You Live For?

Right there, in this chapter is a direct challenge to anyone who decided to live for Christ. Will you live for him? I found myself saying the short sinners prayer later in the chapter. Altough I have said it before, it felt good reaffirming my faith, and settling the issue with God there and then. I choose to live for You.

Question to Consider for today: Where in my daily routing can I become more aware of Gods glory?

Day 6. Life Is a Temporary Assignment

Life on earth is a temporary assignment.

This chapter neatly ties in whith the last chapter, and covers in
detail the third Biblical life metaphor. Chapter five dealt with
test and trust and here we deal with temporary
assignment in detail.

David prayed, "Lord, help me realize how brief my time on earth
will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more."

We must realize that we are mere ambassadors on earth for the kingdom
of heaven. One day we will be called back to our homeland, where we
belong, and we will do report on our time on earth. If an ambassador
to a certain country decides to make his new country his permanent
home, he will be seen as a traitor to his home country.

He could be tried for treason and go to jail in certain cases, in our
case we will go to hell.

We must also remember that just as our life is a temporary
assignment, the earth is also temporary place. The Bible
teaches that "Those in frequent contact with the things of the
world should make good use of them without becoming attached to
them,for this world and all it contains will pass away."

When things on this temporary world of ours become too much for you,
and obstacles seem insurmountable, remember that one day you will go
home. Death does not mean leaving home, it means going home. Death is
only the beginning. Hebrews 11 has the "hall of fame" for Biblical
faith warriors. Read it, notice that every one of them had an eternity
perspective, and that they understood that this life is temporary.

Question to consider: How should the fact that life on earth is just a
temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?

Day 5. Seeing Life From God's View

What is your life?

That quote from James 4:14 really sums up how I sometimes feel.

This chapter starts with: The way you see your life shapes your life.

How often do we have a really positive outlook on life? Ask yourself:
"How do I see my life?" This chapter made me ask that critical
question.

The book speaks of your Life Metaphor. It's the view of life
that you hold.

For instance: If you view life as a marathon, you will value
endurance. If you view life as a battle or game, winning will be
important to you.

You may, however, be basing your life on a faulty metaphor. The Bible
offers three metaphors that teach us God's view of life.

Life is a test, a trust and a temporary assignment. As we have learned
in the previous two chapters, we are made for eternity.

Therefore we need to be tested, entrusted with abilities and spiritual
gifts and learn to life life as a temporary assignment to be ready for
eternity.

Todays question to consider is really a question Christians tend to
answer more often than not:

What has happened to me recently that I now realize was a test from
God? What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?

Day 4. Made to Last Forever

This life is not all there is.

Thats how day four starts off. Now for a Christian that's not news.
For many religions there is nothing new for that matter.

What I DID learn from this chapter however is that God has wired us
specifically to function inside an eternity perspective of life.

The book states that this life is preparation for the next.
Where it ties in with your purpose is that you should have an eternity
perspective. That ties in nicely with day 3, where different
motivators are listed.

One of the most striking references in this chapter is a quote by CS
Lewis: "There are two kinds of people: Those who say to God 'Thy
will be done' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have
it your way.'"

Which category are you in?

Question to consider: Since I was made to last forever, what is the
one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing
today?

Day 3. Wat Drives Your Life?

Day three is a looooooooong chapter. It talks about what drives you. It lists the five common factors that drive people, here they are below with a short note on each:

Many people are driven by guilt.

This is for people whe spend their lives being manipulated by memories. They run from regrets and hide their shame.

Many people are driven by resentment and anger.

People who hold on to their hurts and do not release it through forgiveness.

Many people are driven by fear.

Regardless of their fear, fear driven people tend to miss great opportunities because they are afraid to venture out. They play it safe, avoiding risks and trying to maintain the status quo.

Many people are driven by materialism.

Their desires for material things become the whole goal of their lives.

Many people are driven by the need for approval.

The allow the expectations of others to control their lives. Especially unpleasable parents, that is one my wife tends to struggle with.

These five points are each discussed in detail in the book, and that is only half of the chapter. So you can see why this chapter is difficult to wade through. Next the chapter lists the benefits of purpose driven living.

They are summed up as follows:

Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.

If you have no purpose, you have no meaning. I struggle with this one. I am unsure of my purpose in general. That is why I am reading this book.

Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.

Thats true, and it makes sense too! If you know your purpose you can weed out the activities that do not ad to you reaching your goals. Easy to understand innit?

Knowing your purpose focuses your life.

That really builds on the previous one. It makes sense in the same manner that the above statement does, but it needs to be discussed seperately. It allows you to realise that you need to focus your effort and energy on what is important.

Knowing your purpose motivates your life.

Purpose produces passion. Nothing energises like a clear purpose. Knowing you are working to a defined goal is a great motivator, and motivation generates energy.

Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.

The parable of the rich fool comes to mind. If you live solely to build an earthly legacy, you are sure to miss the boat bigtime, and this river has crocodiles in my friend, you reeeaaally wanna make a swim for it?

That about sums it up. This is a long chapter, and I suggest you read it again. For me that time of study comes when I post a blog. It gets me to really think about what I read.

Queston to Consider for today is again a biggie:

What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? What do I want it to be?

At this point in my personal journey I do not have a positive answer to either of these questions, so Ill leave it there for now.

Day 2. You Are Not an Accident

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Isaiah 44:2

The day I realised that fact I was still in primary school, so day two of Purpose Driven Life did not start with a bang for me. The Bible is full of verses describing Gods creation, and his love for us even before we were born.

What really got me though, was the Question to Consider at the end of the Chapter:

I know that God uniquely created me. What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?

Now theres a biggie.

I think it is safe to say that any person under our God created sun will easily point out some or the other flaw in at least one of the areas listed in that question. Now what gets me is the following:

God Created us, that I believe. Humans are fallable, that I know.

Am I wrong in pointing out my flaws? Anyone would say no reading the last statement on falladility, BUT, personality flaws are character flaws mostly right? Wrong.

My wife and I got two different meanings out of that one: I saw it from the perspective of our God given personality traits, my wife from the perspective of character flaws.

Will someone that does not know God, and picks up this book to search for purpose not be confused by this chapter? I wonder, it was a bit confusing for me and I am rather secure in God love for me.

At least it got me thinking. Maybe I should make peace with who I am personality wise, and try and discern between that which is part of my personality, and those flaws that are truly shortcomings in character.

Maybe we should just heed this verse quoted in the chapter:

Rom12:3b The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (Msg)

Day 1 It All Starts with God

On the day I left a previous Job as a manager at a factory, I took this picture.

It is a snapshot of my desk. I like the picture because it shows the busy life that I lead at that company.

A desk strewn with paper and a computer keyboard with message notes stuck in the F keys.

For two and a half years working for that company was my purpose.

Day 1 of Purpose Driven Life quotes Col 1:16: "For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels--everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."

I started many days with God, many without. Working was my purpose. Like many men I found my identity in the work I did. For those who know me, it is painfully clear that the carpet have been pulled from under me rather decisively.

Where does my identity come from? What is my purpose now?

The first chapter starts with the following words: Its not about you.

That seemed to answer a yearning I had. It is so easy to lose yourself in your circumstance, and if you find your purpose in what you do for yourself by yourself, where is your purpose when you are forced to rely on someone else, God, completely?

Chapter 1 ends with a point to ponder: In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?

What can we do? I look forward to this book helping me realise my God given role in this life, something more than a day job. A true purpose perhaps?

Purpose Driven Life

Right, the book "A Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren is probably well known by this time. The problem with it , according to conversations among friends and aquantances, is that it is very difficult to read.

The book is to be read over forty days, and certain questions and topics need to be adressed for the study of this book to be worth its while.

So.

We as a Bible study group have decided to take this book and work through it in seven day chunks.

Every Thursday we come together to discuss what whe have read, and learn from each others experience.

Join in! This should be one wild (but rewarding) ride!