"It's not about you." This is the first sentence you'll read when you open Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life," and it is definitely an attention-getter. At first, you think, "excuse me?" But then, as you continue to read, you're awakened as you start to realize that, sadly, he is right. We all go through life asking ourselves, "what do I want? What career do I want? What do I want to do with my spare time? What about me?" We think that the point of life is simply to get through and "live life to the fullest" and be happy. Well, it's not. God has a specific purpose for each and every one of us while we are here on this earth....a very distinct plan. Yes, we can go to college, become intellectuals, get married, have a family, and plenty of success, but the question is....who sets those standards for success? Does God really care how nice our home is? Does he care whether we go to the best college or graduate at the top of our class? Does he care if we "dress to impress?" No. Not one little bit. We do these things because society tells us we should. Society says if you have a nice home, nice cars, a good job, and a good family, then you have a good life and you have succeeded. Well, you may have succeeded by the world's standards, but is that going to help you when you stand before the Lord on Judgement Day? We may have this type of success, but missed God's calling on our lives completely! And without that, our lives are simply a ritual. Wake up, do your thing, go to bed. God doesn't need us. He was just fine before he created us. But we cannot live without Him. See? WE are created for HIM...not the other way around. God isn't merely a maid that is here to tend to our needs and then leave. We must be willing to live completely and totally according to His calling on our lives, otherwise we are simply occupying space.
The end of each chapter (I read one chapter a day for 40 days) has some questions to think about here are a few with my answers.
1. Have you ever wondered about, or felt confused about, the purpose of your life?
A. Oh yes. There are some things I know that God has called me to do, like teach and work with children. Ultimately I want to teach small children full time. I also know I am supposed to be a mommy someday. But other than that, I have asked myself, "How can God use me to help people?" I see so many flaws in myself I don't think He could possibly use me, but then I remember nothing is impossible for Him, and if He couldn't use me, I wouldn't be here.
2. What ways have you tried to discover your life's purpose that hasn't worked?
A. I once took a job in a medical office because my best friend at the time was going into nursing school. I wanted a change, but I didn't consult God first, and it turned into a nightmare.
3. Why do you think people try to discover their life's purpose without turning to God?
A. Independence. Everyone wants to believe they can do it on their own, without help. It's like the book says, if you are an invention, you don't know what your purpose is until the person that created you tells you. And if you see a new invention, the creator has to show you what it's for before you can figure it out. We don't need to be independent. We need to be GOD dependent.
For more information, visit http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/Home/home.htm
The end of each chapter (I read one chapter a day for 40 days) has some questions to think about here are a few with my answers.
1. Have you ever wondered about, or felt confused about, the purpose of your life?
A. Oh yes. There are some things I know that God has called me to do, like teach and work with children. Ultimately I want to teach small children full time. I also know I am supposed to be a mommy someday. But other than that, I have asked myself, "How can God use me to help people?" I see so many flaws in myself I don't think He could possibly use me, but then I remember nothing is impossible for Him, and if He couldn't use me, I wouldn't be here.
2. What ways have you tried to discover your life's purpose that hasn't worked?
A. I once took a job in a medical office because my best friend at the time was going into nursing school. I wanted a change, but I didn't consult God first, and it turned into a nightmare.
3. Why do you think people try to discover their life's purpose without turning to God?
A. Independence. Everyone wants to believe they can do it on their own, without help. It's like the book says, if you are an invention, you don't know what your purpose is until the person that created you tells you. And if you see a new invention, the creator has to show you what it's for before you can figure it out. We don't need to be independent. We need to be GOD dependent.
For more information, visit http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/Home/home.htm
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