Tuesday 7 June 2016

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

The book is divided into 40 brief chapters.The reader has been asked to read only one chapter a day.She is also asked not just read the book but underline it  and write  readers' own thoughts in the margins.This is the best way to clarify thoughts.There is covenant which reader is asked to sign .It says that:" With God's help , I commit the next 40 days of my life to discovering God's purpose for my life."
 Bertrand Russel ,atheist  is quoted;"Unless you  assume a God , the question of life's purpose is meaningless".
  It says that we exist because God wills us to exist.Our purpose can be revealed by our creator.Life is really about living for God , not for ourselves.God planned our birth , how long we will live, the exact places where we should live.We discover the purpose of life only when we make  God the reference point of our lives.Real security can be found in our relationship with God.
                 This life is a preparation for the next.You will spend more time on the other side of death,in eternity .There are eternal consequences of every thing that you do on earth.This life is a preparation for the next..
               Remember that your days on earth are numbered.Do not get too attached here, to the things of this world.Never focus on material success.Adopt eternal values.Stop acquiring material wealth and start appreciating spiritual things.We bring glory to God  by worshiping Him.Worship is to be motivated by  love,thanksgiving  and delight,and not as duty.It is your responsibility to love other believers.The more you develop Christ like character , the more glory you will bring to God.Serve others with all your strength,energy and all your spiritual gifts.Tell others about God.Live the rest of your life for God's glory.Don't have your own goals.Live for god.God made you for His purpose.
          Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it  with awareness of His presence.Do the following activities as if you were doing it directly for Jesus:
Talking, sleeping , bathing , getting ready , working , walking , listening to music,reading , writing and meeting people.
  The smile of God is the goal of your life.Love God,know God , spend time with God.Suffer and sacrifice for good change.Surrender is intense warfare against our  self-centered nature.Surrender to God and not to any one else.Include God in every activity ,every conversation and every thought.Prayer lets you speak .Meditation lets God speak.Have a desire to know God above all else.
 Relationships must have priority in your life above every thing.Invest time in relationships.Care for their practical needs.Do not write people off.God wants you to love real people, not ideal people.
       Real community takes place in small groups.Carry each other's burden.Do not let people give up in despair.Forgive them.Never hold grudges and bitterness.Forgiveness must be immediate.Forgiveness is letting go of the past.
Do not gossip about  your fellow members.Meet together regularly and as a habit.Spend time with people.Share meals.Pray about your relationships.Take the initiative to resolve a conflict.Do not blame .Do not condemn , insult ,and don't be sarcastic. Emphasize reconciliation and resolution .Bury the hatchet.Restore the broken relationships.
  Focus on the growth of one another's character.Confront those who gossip. Do not listen to gossip about third person .
You were created to become like God.God wants you to be Godly.God’s goal for you is character development.God is much more concerned about your character than about your career.Take your spiritual growth seriously.
                 Replace lies with truth.Read scriptures for at least 15 minutes daily.Apply principles into practice.Have a discussion group and discuss your applications in the group.Keep on doing what is right. Do not give up.
            Attraction becomes lust when you begin to dwell on it.Monitor your media intake.Have a friend  or a small group as your accountability partner.
              To give up a habit , you have a lot to unlearn.Keep a spiritual journal and record spiritual insights in it.
               You were put on earth to make a contribution  and to serve God.When you serve others , you serve God.Service is not optional.Stop making excuses for not serving.Serve others unselfishly.Serve with passion. Serve even when it is inconvenient.Service is an attitude.
            Do things for which you feel passion.Do not waste your life doing a job you do not like.Keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.
               Be a servant , not a servant leader.Be content with obscurity.You cannot serve both God and money. Do not flaunt your connections , don’t namedrop.
    You were made for a mission.      
Share your story .Your story is unique.If you don’t share it , it will be lost for ever.Write  the story of all your important experiences, lessons  and insights.Insights about God, relationships, problems and  temptations .Spread the Good News.
                    Keep a balance between the five purposes of life:
1.Love God with all your heart.
2.Love your neighbour as yourself.
3.Go and make disciples.
4.Have fellowship.
5.Grow to maturity through discipleship.
Serve God’s purpose in a contemporary way.
                      In short , it is a religious book  but written for the  contemporary world.Though  mainly written for  the followers of Christianity, it can be read with profit if you follow any other religion , or are even an atheist.

No comments: