40 Days
of Purpose
Introduction
The 40 Days of Purpose, by Rick Warren was written
when he actually found the purpose of your life. And that purpose is for God's pleasure.
Day #1: It All Starts with God
Life is not all about you.
The purpose of YOUR life is more than your own fulfillment, your peace of mind, and even your happiness. It's not even your
family, your career, or your wildest dreams. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
The search for the purpose of life has confused
people for thousands of years. That is because we begin at the wrong beginning point. We ask self-centered questions like:
What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions,
my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will NEVER reveal the purpose of our life. In the
Bible it says, "It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyones' life is in his power."
There are many books that suggest
ways to see the purpose of your life. All of them could be put in the category as "self-help" books because they are from
the subject from a self-centered view. They usually offer the same predictable steps to finding your life's purpose: Consider
your dreams. Clarify your values. Set some goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim high. Go for it! Be disciplined.
Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others. Never give up.
These recommendations often lead to great
success. You usually succeed in reaching a goal if you put your mind to it. But that is NOT AT ALL the same issue
as fulfilling your life's purpose! You could reach all of your personal goals, and still miss the purposes for which God created
you to be. You need more than self-help advice. The Bible says, "Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way,
my way, to finding yourself, you true self."
God is not just the starting point of your life; he is the
source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God's Word, not the world's wisdom. You must build
your life on eternal truths, not pop psychology, success-motivation, or inspirational stories. The Bible says, "It's in
Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up,
He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and
everyone." This verse gives us three insights onto your purpose.
1. You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with
Jesus Christ. If you don't have such a relationship, it will later explain how to begin one.
2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about Him.
His purpose for your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input! You may
choose your career, your spouse, your hobbies, and many other parts of your life, but you don't get to choose your purpose.
3. THe purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose
that God has designed for eternity.
You may have felt in the dark about your purpose in
life. Congratulations, you're about to walk into the light.
Day One
Thinking about My Purpose
Point to Ponder: It's not about me
Verse to Remember: "Everything got
started in Him and finds its purpose in Him." Colossians 1:16
Question to Consider:
In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not
myself?
-end of day one.
-interpreted from "40 Days of Purpose"
