“Before they know just what to do
Their souls are lost
Because they could never find
Whats this life for”
– “Whats This Life For”
Mark Tremonti/Scott Stapp
“Before they know just what to do
Their souls are lost
Because they could never find
Whats this life for”
– “Whats This Life For”
Mark Tremonti/Scott Stapp
Contrary to the belief of many in a 21st-century, youth-obsessed world, Rick
Warren insists there is something worse than the end of ones life.
“The greatest tragedy is not death but life without purpose,” Warren
emphasizes in his mega best-selling book from 2002, “The Purpose-Driven
Life.”
Warren probably would agree the second-greatest tragedy is how many people
actually are living without purpose.
He wants to change that.
Give him 40 days – and he thinks he can. To be more precise, give God 40 days
– and he will change it, Warren insists.
That is the whole point of “The Purpose-Driven Life.” And it is the
whole reason why the book has taken the Christian world by storm. It has gained
book of the year honors and is being used in churches and study groups throughout
the nation.
The book offers focuses on challenging persons to think about their lives and
its purpose. It is full of scriptural references and verses and offers questions
designed to provoke thought. The book is designed to facilitate a 40-day study
– and Christians across the nation have jumped at the chance.
The Louisiana Baptist Convention is just one of many groups that have embraced
the purpose-driven concept. Convention staff members currently are involved
in a study of the book – and a pilot program with select churches is set to
begin next month.
All of that is designed to lay the groundwork for next year, when convention
leaders plan to launch a statewide purpose-driven focus involving hundreds of
churches.
It can transform the convention, they say.
It is a vision Warren shares for everyone who undertakes the purpose-driven
challenge. “The next 40 days will transform your life, …” he writes
in the opening pages of his book. “Your life is worth taking the time to
think about it. Make it a daily appointment on your schedule.”
Warren is serious about the study commitment, asking persons to sign a covenant
that commits themselves to the process.
The subsequent study is broken into six parts. The first section examines the
question – “Why are we here?” The ensuing five sections each look
at a purpose of life.
As part of the Louisiana Baptist Convention focus and in anticipation of the
2004 emphasis, the Baptist Message is presenting six articles during a six-week
period related to those sections.
It begins at the beginning.
Why is one here … or as Warren phrases it in his opening chapter – “What
on earth am I here for?”
He makes his point plain in the opening sentence of the book – “Its
not about you.”
Already, that runs contrary to the emphasis of many and to the whole focus
of advertising and the modern world.
However, Warren is insistent.
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment,
your peace of mind or even your happiness,” notes Warren, who is pastor
at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of the largest churches in
the nation. “Its greater than your family, your career or even your
wildest dreams and ambitions.
“If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin
with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. … You were made
by God and for God – and until you understand that, life will never make sense.”
(Authors italics)
To find and understand that life purpose, Warren insists persons must turn
to the Bible and must develop a personal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
In doing so, one discovers he or she is not an accident, regardless of the
circumstances of birth and life, Warren says.
“There are no illegitimate children,” he says. “Many children
are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. … God made
you so he could love you.
“Thats a truth to build your life on.”
Unfortunately, many people are driven by something else – guilt about the past,
resentment and anger, fear, materialism,, the need for approval, Warren says.
“All lead to the same dead end – unused potential, unnecessary stress
and an unfulfilled life,” he insists.
However, a 40-day commitment can change that and show a person how to live
a life guided, controlled and directed by God, he says. “Nothing matters
more than knowing Gods purposes for your life, and nothing can compensate
for not knowing them.”
Knowing purpose gives life meaning and focus – and prepares one for eternity,
Warren emphasizes.
“Living to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal,” he
explains. “A wiser use of time is to build an eternal legacy.”
That matters because this life is not all there is, Warren continues. Indeed,
it simply is preparation for the next stage, he says.
“When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and
now and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you begin to
live differently,” Warren stresses. “You will start living in the
light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task
and circumstance.”
Warren decries the short-term thinking of many lives. He emphasizes the way
one sees life shapes how he or she lives life.
“How you define life determines your destiny,” Warren says. “Your
perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use your
talents and value your relationships.”
Warren urges persons to embrace a biblical view of life as a test, a trust
and a temporary assignment.
Those views help a person understand there is ultimate purpose to life, he
says.
“Nothing is insignificant in your life,” Warren notes. “Even
the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every
day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen
your character, to demonstrate love or to depend on God.”
In addition, everything one does has eternal implications – each choice, decision
and reaction, Warren continues.
“There is far more to life than just the few years we live on this planet,”
he emphasizes.
Unfortunately, many Christians – and others – have embraced other goals, other
perspectives, Warren acknowledges.
They pursue happiness or success or some other goal. They become attached to
the world. They call it home.
But the secret of a purpose-driven life begins at one acknowledgment, Warren
concludes in his books first section.
“It is a fatal mistake to assume that Gods goal for your life is
material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it,” he writes
in the chapter that closes the first week of purpose-driven study.
“The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness
to God does not guarantee success in a career or even in ministry.
“Never focus on temporary crowns. … Millions of faithful people have
been martyred, have lost everything or have come to the end of life with nothing
to show for it.
“But the end of life is not the end!”
In other words, there is more – and it is what truly is important and what
Warren and his study seeks to communicate.