Purpose Of Life – Which Direction Should You Take
An article on what direction of life you should take to live the best life. As more and more people are turning toward "purpose-driven" lifestyles, it is important to know what that means and how we can start this journey. This article will explain where this idea came from, its benefits, a few ways we can begin living “purpose-driven” lives as well as a video that will tell you about the importance of living your own purpose and not following any pre-programmed path.
The Purpose-Driven Movement was started by Rick Warren, pastor at Saddleback church. Although this is the most common term you will hear when referring to a "purpose-driven" life, there is another area of Christian life that emphasizes finding your purpose apart from God. This movement believes in “finding yourself” and then finding God after you have discovered who you truly are. It takes the same theme that we so often hear today: “Don’t live for anyone else; live for yourself. Be true to who you are.” However, the difference is that instead of living for yourself, you must live for God when you discover your “true self.”
This concept has proven to be very important in today's society, as people want to do more than just work, eat, and sleep (which can be burdensome). They want to feel purpose in their lives. And as human beings we often feel lost and unsure of who we really are; hence all the talk about finding our purpose. However, as Christians, God has already revealed who we are. First and foremost, in Christ we are God’s children (1 John 3:1). And secondly, we are called to live for him out of love for Him and a desire to please Him (2 Corinthians 5:14).
Rick Warren writes in his book “The Purpose Driven Life” that discovering your purpose begins with a self-assessment of your gifts and talents. He comments on the fact that many people spend a large part of their lives trying to find something they feel is missing. He says that it is as though they are looking for a missing piece to a puzzle. You could spend your whole life looking for the missing piece, but you would never find it if it were not there in the first place. When it comes to discovering our purpose, he says that we already have everything we need because we have been given gifts and talents by God.
Warren says, “Discovering your purpose is not about figuring out what you are good at and what you like to do. Instead, it is a matter of discovering who God made you to be through discovering his gifts and calling on your life.” Each of us has something unique we can offer the world, but we often feel that we have nothing to offer because we possess no extraordinary gifts or talents. Warren wants us to see that this is not true. We have been created with a purpose and an ability to fulfill it, whether or not we feel like we have any gifts to give.
The Purpose-Driven Movement has given Christians a new perspective on life by looking at it from the eyes of eternity instead of from the eyes of today. Instead of living for what can be accomplished in one day or week, you are now looking for the hope of eternal life and accomplishments. It makes life more meaningful by making it more focused. Instead of just living a week to week life, you live for eternity and the rewards that you will receive when you reach your final destination.
Warren encourages people to look at their lives through the eyes of eternity as opposed to just this lifetime. “What is your life all about?” he asks. “It’s not about what you’ve accomplished. It’s not about your family, friends, or even the biggest house you can afford. This life is about knowing God and making him known. Knowing Him for yourself and then making Him known to others.”
Members of the Purpose-Driven Movement understand that there is no ultimate purpose for our existence other than knowing God and doing His will. It is not about us; it’s about Him. We have been given the purpose of glorifying our Creator, not ourselves or our accomplishments. He wants us to live a life of purpose and meaning, but not by following any pre-programmed path that we may think we should be on.
Conclusion
Warren says, “The real danger today is that we are all living lives of quiet desperation. The irony is that each of us has been created for so much more.” Purpose-driven people understand that this life is just the beginning, and they are looking forward to eternity and what God has in store for them. Their purpose is to make God known by any means necessary. Whether they are a doctor or a teacher, they all have the same purpose of glorifying their Creator.