What Drives You? (Day 3 of 40 Days of Purpose)

What drives your life? What makes you go anywhere?

To many of us are driven by the wrong reasons and pressures.

It may be the guilt and regret of past decisions and actions. But we cannot change our past and Jesus has already paid the cost of our sins. We can only blame ourselves for the hurt on us and others from being driven by guilt and fear. Know that Jesus loves you and died on the cross for whatever sin, you think made you ineligable for a good life with God.

Or you might be driven by Anger and resentment. Someone did something to you and they are going to pay for it! But while the offender often has moved on, and maybe not even noticed, that you were hurt, you are the one paying for the anger and resentment on a daily basis. It destroys your mood, your relationships in general and especially with those you love. Let go of your resentment and hate, forgive the person, who offended you and move on. Jesus was killed due to our sins. Where would we be without His forgiveness and sacrifice on the cross?

Or fear might be the driving factor of your life. Fear of past experienes cropping up again. Maybe someone within your closest family reigned through terror and threats. Whatever the cause of your fear, you are now locked into the jail of your fears, missing out on opportunities and successes because you will not move into unknown or uncertain territory as it might lead to failures and repercussion.

Materialism, or "Keeping on with the Jones'es" was basically the foundation for this latest financial crises. When materialism drives you, you rely on the kick of buying and owning something for your happiness. But all material goods are a fleeting value and might deflate over night. And nothing on this earth will you be able to bring with you, when it is time to leave this earth. So invest in lasting valuables. The only lasting valuable, that will last beyond time and throughout eternity is the Love of Jesus Christ.

People are also driven by the need of approval. Of someone they know and respect or simply just by strangers. Often this might stem from childhood experiences of lacking attention from someone you loved. One failsafe way to fail is to try to please everyone. It is impossible and you will always offend someone. So stay with pleasing God. He will never fail or forsake you and we will never stop loving you even if you turn your back to Him.

You are not an accident (day 2 of 40 Days of Purpose)

Ever thought, you were out of place? That your life was a failure? That you shouldn't have been born? That your parents should never had had kids?

Your birth was not an accident. God planned your life, chose your parents, your place of birth, your race, your nationality, your social status, your genes. And he planned you for a special job, that only you can do.

You might think that sounds cruel and calculating, but God knew whatever choices and mistakes your parent would make and used that knowledge to create you, just as he intended.

You are here for a reason and through your parents genes and your personal experiences, God molded you into who you are, for his purpose.

It all starts with God (day 1 of 40 Days of Purpose)

"It is not about you."

In this world everything these days is about me: How do I look? How do I succeed? How do I find a mate? How do I find a good Job? How do I find the right career? How do I find the purpose for my life? Where do I start?

We live in a Pick'n'Mix reality of anything and everything. All our choices are based upon what is good for me - or for my family at best. But we did not create ourselves. God planned and blessed our lives even before our conception. He created me for His purpose.

I can make my own plans, my own decisions and own life. But the purpose of my life, God planned long ago, even before my mother and father knew each other.

"Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him" (Col 1:16b, the Message)

40 days of Purpose - Purpose Driven Life

I have read Rick Warren's Book: A Purpose Driven Life before but never managed to do all 40 days. Now is the time to reach that goal. So from today I am restarting that project.

I will be blogging on each chapter hopefully posting something every day. Actually I want to end this on Easter Sunday. 38 days away from today (including today). Thus I need to do 2 double stints along the way.

The first line of the first day states "It is not about You". This is both scary (at least to someone like me) and reassuring at the same time. If it was all about me, then I would have to work my way to the doors of heaven. Which is nigh on impossible. But now that it is about God, I can put all my trust in Him. Because He will not fail, even when (not if) I will fail, dishonor or abandon Him. He was here before me and will be with me, and he will be here, when my time is up.

The first post on chapter/day one will be published later today!