What Drives your Life? 

Below is from Chapter 3 of “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren: 

Right now you are probably driven by a problem, a pressure, or a deadline. You may be driven by a painful memory, a haunting fear or an unconscious belief. 

There are hundreds of circumstances, values, and emotions that can drive your life. Here are the 5 most common ones: 

Many people are driven by….

1. Guilt: spend their entire lives running from regrets and hiding their shame
2. Resentment and anger: they hold onto hurts and never let go
3. Fear: perhaps a result of a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations or growing up in a high-control home
4. Materialism: their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal of their lives
5. The need for approval: they allow the expectations of parents, spouses, children, teachers or friends to control their lives

Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life and nothing can compensate for not knowing them – not success, wealth, fame, or pleasure. Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty and pointless. 

                Knowing your purpose…

1. Gives meaning to your life: when life has meaning you can bear almost anything, without it nothing is bearable
2. Simplifies your life: it defines what you do and what you don’t do
3. Focuses your life: concentrates your effort and energy on what’s important
4. Motivates your life: purpose always produces passion
5. Prepares you for eternity: what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life, but what God says

One day you will stand before God and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says “Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgement seat of God…Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God”. Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask of us two crucial questions: 

1. What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ? Did you accept what Jesus did for you and di you learn to love and trust him?
2. What did you do with what I gave you? What did you do with your life – all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you?

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