Day 1 of The Purpose Driven Life
It All Starts with God
It is in Christ that we find out
who we are and what we are living for.
Ephesians 1:11 MSG
I can still remember where I was when I first opened The Purpose-Driven Life. Mary Louise and I were driving to a trailhead in the Santa Fe National Forest. Our morning devotion – before our morning’s exercise – was a chapter-a-day.
The first line grabbed us: “It’s not about you.”
From Rick Warren’s initial sentence, it was clear this book was different. “It’s not about you.”
I once thought I’d have to write my own discipleship materials if I wanted to teach people how to follow Christ, then I read, “It’s not about you.”
In this world, there’s a whole industry of self-help books. But with the words, “it’s not about you,” Pastor Warren begins to point us away from “self-help” to “God-hope.”
God-hope – rather than self-help – involves a radical re-orientation of perspective. And even though I’m a pastor, I need more of God and hope because too often I focus on trying to help myself.
My natural tendency is to be self-focused … rather than God-directed.
I too often look in toward myself … not beyond myself to God.
I instinctively focus down on this earth … not up to God.
I tend to live my life on the ground … not with my feet, my heart, my mind, nor my hope in heaven.
How about you?
The Purpose-Driven Life, including several group studies of this book, was a piece of my re-orientation. “It’ not about me.” I needed it then. I need it again. I need more of Jesus and less of me.
It’s a daily adventure!
Indeed, it is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.
In Christ’s Love,
an adventurer who’s
off to slay a dragon
… me
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