The Benefits of Purpose Driven Living.Yay, we're to a point where we can focus on what to expect from this book. I have a feeling there are going to be plenty of surprises along the way.
Knowing your Purpose gives meaning to your life.
I bet that you didn't need a book to tell you that. I didn't. Wait, wanting to know our purpose is the reason I'm reading this book. Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Some people still don't get this. They confuse goals with purposes. I used to be one of those people. Getting to know Jesus just wasn't on my "to do" list.
Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.
It defines what you do, and what you don't do. If I know my purpose, than I can choose to NOT do things that don't serve that purpose. The same was true when I was living for my goals, my life goal didn't involve being a better Christian, so I chose to not go to Church. God took that into account though and brought Church back to me.
You have just enough time to do God's will. If you can't get it all done, it means you're trying to do more than God intended for you to do. So I need to start spending less time online and in front of the PS3. God didn't intend for me to put those things before Him or my family.
Knowing your purpose focuses your life.
It's human nature to get distracted by minor things. I am ruled by minor distractions. If I'm online, or working on photos, or doing whatever and something distracts me, it's hard to get back on task. You could say that I have adult onset ADD.
Knowing your purpose motivates your life.
It's usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down,saps our strength, and robs our joy. Wow, does this guy work with me? When I'm sweaty and dirty and greasy and I just fixed a problem on the airplane, I'm a happy guy. When I'm sweaty and dirty and greasy, and I've been vacuuming micro particles out from under floorboards, or changing discolored string tie, I am beat down. There's little motivation to go to work on days when I know I won't have a lot of work to do.
Knowing your purpose prepares you for Eternity.
Remember back when I said that meeting Jesus wasn't on my "to do" list. Well, if a relationship with Christ isn't on your bucket list you might want to put it there. Meeting me face to face is certainly on God's "to do" list. One day I will stand before God. And it won't matter how much money I had, what records I held, or if my pictures were ever published in Time magazine. (I used to want to be a photographer for a different magazine.) God is going to ask me some hard questions. "What did you do with my son Jesus Christ?" and "What did you do with the talents I gave you?"
Jesus tells us what we are supposed to do with him. "Go and make disciples of all men." Have I been talking about Jesus, is it obvious that He lives in me? Will someone ever say about me "That guy has something I don't have, and I want to know what it is."? I sure hope so.
Jesus also tells us a story of a rich man and his three servants. The man gives them all money before he goes away and when he returns he comes back to collect. I don't want to ruin the story for you, but let's just say the master wasn't happy with the man who didn't use the money to make any profit. Am I making a profit on what God gave me? Am I using His gifts for His Glory?
Our memory verse is from Isaiah again:
You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
(IS 26:3 NIV)
What a beautiful verse, Perfect peace comes to the steadfast who trust in God. I want that!!
The question for day three is more self reflecting, but with a twist.
What would my family and friends say is the driving force in my life? What do I want it to be?
It's hard to know exactly what others think. It's hard to answer the first part for other people, but if you call your family and friends and ask them, they probably won't be honest with you anyway. So on pure speculation, I would like to think that my family and friends see my wife and kids as the driving force in my life. And although I could be content with living just for them, I know that if I can live for Jesus that I will be a much better husband and father.
If I can move past the things I have been doing to myself and live each day ready to stand before the throne and answer God's two questions in a manner that will please Him, I will have fulfilled His purpose in me.
Thank you so much for making it this far with me. I can't promise I won't have another two page post, but I can promise that everything I wrote today, I needed to get out. And I could have written more, but I think I got the meat of the chapter out there.
Remember: Living on Purpose is the Path to Peace.
I apologize if I am suppose to comment on everyone's blogs and comments. I have been focusing on the "Points to Ponder" and the "Questions to Consider," although I do read everybody's post. Chapter 3 was very insightful, and actually made me question the way I am living my life...what is really my driving force? I asked myself this question repeatedly while I was reading. I think I have a whole bunch of negatives driving my life at the moment, and I need to shed everything, start anew, and REALLY LIVE. I lived like that once upon a time, and I think I got lost somewhere on my path. Not totally, but I WAS lost. I will be turning around now in a NEW direction.I want my driving force to be the light and love of God. Even though I am an unconventional Christian...I don't have to mold into anyone's ideas of how a "conventional Christian" is suppose to act, but make myself more open to God. Mend my personal relationship with him, and let his light be my guide. I actually feel like some weight is lifting off of me while I make this confession of sorts. To John and Teresa, thank you for always being there...even though I haven't called on you for help, I can always count on you to be there if I did. You somehow heard a silent cry from me, before you handed me this book and "guilting" me into reading it :) This is something I truly needed in my life right now. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm with u on readin everything but I wont always post. And please excuse the spelling - no spell ck ? And vey often like right now its lat and Im tired. Speaking of which my blog is usually a 24 hr procee from reading, notes, rethinking then typing. I realised sitting down tonight to write this - Im wearing my self thin this week.. I had already agreed to foster puppies when the book and blogg appeared adding both to a full working schedule and trying to spend as much time as possible with N, while we r enjoying summer break. My whole routine is already adjusted for summer, the puppies are alot of work, rewarding but alot of time either one would have been enough - what was I thinking. But that why were her isn't it?
ReplyDeleteBack to the book - Maybe I feel I already know my purpose but over do it ( ha ha I worte this last nite or this am and look what above - EPHIPHANY RIGHT NOW!) I know my purpose but over doit!and thats the lesson that Im still working on. (God I get it your putting all this in my life right now - I can not beleive I wrote this and am swamped- ok help me to manage it, I take on too much) We just had a conversation at home last week about being all or nothing people - I acussed my X of being a perfectionist / workaholic. X & I are both all or nothing people - emotionally, physically. the expression from us is very opposite. mine is worn loudly like a badge. X's is buried beneath...-
So sometimes I sabotoge my own purpose? mm or Im just not perfect at it..A lifelong work in progress?
I thoguht Id just answer the question at the end but then I thought of more things I read and went back to those thoughts and paragraphs. and then I found myself evaluating ea Q thru out the text. And was not going to include any more in my blog - then at break I couldnt resist and chck the blog and after reading Johns concidered adding more - boy did u get more tonight!(and this blog actually add purpose to that new iPhone X talked me into getting - I only need a phone - now Im loving it just to read all your post)
My enabling, driven by all the emtions listed .. makes me crazy and then I drive those around me crazy.. and thats when things go wrong. I can be a great care giver with out being an enabler..that really needs work. So even thoguh I feel this is my God given purpose - boy I suck at some parts of it - making me work on resentmen, guilt you dont even acknowledge. When I let go of somethings, not enable, care emotionally, physcially supporting doesnt mean giving in.
I'm not one to hold grudges. Never have its not worth it ... but I do not allow some people in my life or soemtimes even my inner circle beacuase of me. Not that I dont forgive them, think of them, pray for them. Some relationships are un healthy...and it's ok to let them go.
Joleen, Don't feel like you need to comment on every comment. Gosh, we would be here forever if we all did that! I do because I promised to interact with you if you interacted with me. I am really enjoying getting to know you and Sherry better through your posts and I pray for both of you, and the other readers who haven't been bold enough to come forward yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful that you feel like you do, because you know we are always here for you. I've known since we met that we would become close. I don't treat you like a little sister for fun. Ok, maybe a little bit is just for fun, like your nickname.
Sherry, it's funny how things work out. You almost bought this book before I posted about it. Remember the chapter quote, there are enough hours in the day to do all that God wants you to do. And it's ok to cut out things, even good things if they interfere with God things.
I got a lot out of Chapter 3.
ReplyDelete"There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose. The men and women who have made the greatest difference in history were the most focused."
In todays day and age it sometimes seems there is not enough time to do everything that needs to be done. After reading Chapter 3, I learned that most of the activities that cludder my schedule and of very little importance to me. I need to redirect my attention to the things that matter. I need to become more focused.
My family would say that I am a extremely family oriented man and I want to provide for them as well as I can. I am fully capible of doing this but it is really hard to do with so much on my plate. It is time for me to live a more simple life and focus exclusivly on what really matters.
I really enjoyed this chapter and felt like it hit home with some things that I am currently dealing with in my life. For a little over a year now I have been letting my past circumstances control my life. This has led me to wander through each day without a purpose. It has made me feel unfulfilled and unmotivated. What a revelation for me to see that God's purpose isn't limited by my past.
ReplyDeleteWithin the past couple of weeks, before I even started reading this book, some changes have started to take place. I am not always the best with change. In fact, I tend to run screaming when something in my life changes. So just knowing that these changes are something that God is working in me and that he has also given me a sense of peace makes me realize that he is pushing me towards my purpose. No matter how hard I try to resist and run kicking and screaming.
I would say that my family and friends would describe my focus as being solely on my family. I live and breath for them and making sure they are well taken care of. This has left little room for any sort of "me" time and I find myself feeling guilty when I do spend time on myself. Now that changes are starting in my life I forsee more of a balance between it all.