The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

by Rick Warren

Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless. BERTRAND RUSSELL, ATHEIST

Of course, these recommendations often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you put your mind to it. But being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world’s standard, and still miss the purposes for which God created you. You

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives through the Bible.

You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him. His

The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that

ISAIAH 44:2A (CEV)

Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God.

God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature.

Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope. In the Bible, many different people expressed this hopelessness. Isaiah complained,

Hope is as essential to your life as air and water. You need hope to cope. Dr. Bernie Siegel found he could predict which of his cancer patients would go into remission by asking, “Do you want to live to be one hundred?” Those with a deep sense of life purpose answered yes and were the ones most likely to survive. Hope comes from having a purpose. If

Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.

Knowing your purpose focuses your life.

Knowing your purpose motivates your life.

“Given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed by someone else!”

Thinking about My Purpose

While life on earth offers many choices, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell.

C. S. Lewis said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right then, have it your way.’ ” Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without him here on earth.

We know that right now God is preparing an eternal home for us. In heaven we will be reunited with loved ones who are believers, released from all pain and suffering, rewarded for our faithfulness on earth, and reassigned to do work that we will enjoy doing. We won’t lie around on clouds with halos playing harps! We will enjoy unbroken fellowship with God, and he will enjoy us for an unlimited, endless forever. One day Jesus will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” 5

Made to Last Forever Just as the nine months you spent in your mother’s womb were not an end in themselves but preparation for life, so this life is preparation for the next.

Not Sigi g on that it’s the preparation. As birth, your body prepared, thrulife you experienced. I feel the true legs yis not that you are preparing, but you learn and are sharing. So others may hear the way

QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. ANAÏS NIN

Life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.

Life on earth is a Test.

A very important test is how you act when you can’t feel God’s presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don’t sense his closeness. A king named Hezekiah experienced

Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. James says, “Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” 4

Life on earth is a Trust. This

“Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I can.” The Bible says, “Those who are trusted with something valuable must show they

talents,

The more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.

Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust from God. God uses finances to teach us to trust him, and for many people, money is the greatest test of all. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are. The Bible says, “If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” 11

POINT TO PONDER: Life is a test and a trust.

First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won’t be here long, so don’t get too attached. Ask God to help

Christians should carry spiritual green cards to remind us that our citizenship is in heaven. God says his children are to think differently about life from the way unbelievers do. “All they think about

live on earth, it’s their home.

It is not. The Bible is clear:

In God’s eyes,

serve faithfully,

QUESTION TO CONSIDER: How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?

Throughout history, God has revealed his glory to people in different settings. He revealed it first in the garden of Eden, then to Moses, then in the tabernacle and the temple, then through Jesus, and now through the church. 2 It was portrayed as a consuming fire, a cloud, thunder, smoke, and a brilliant light. 3 In heaven, God’s glory provides all the light needed. The Bible says, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light.” 4

None of us have given God the full glory he deserves from our lives. This is the worst sin and the biggest mistake we can make. On the

We bring God glory by worshiping him.

We

bring God glory by loving other believers.

We bring God glory by becoming like Christ.

We bring God glory by serving others with our gifts.

We bring God glory by telling others about him.

“My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” 20

It’s time to settle this issue. Who are you going to live for — yourself or God? You may hesitate, wondering whether you will have strength to live for God. Don’t worry. God will give you what you need if you will just make the choice to live for him. The Bible

QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God’s glory?