Rev Bill

Purpose 3 in Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life is

You were created to become like Christ.

Warren continues discussing the implications of this purpose in day 23 — How We Grow. Beginning with the sentence: God wants you to grow up Warren discusses how God’s goal for you is to mature and develop the characteristics of Christ.

This requires a decision on your part.

This also takes a commitment on your part.
Warren points out that you become whatever you are committed to. In other words, what you commit yourself to is what you spend your time doing, and will end up defining who you are. If you are committed to growing in Christ, God will help you do that. If you are not committed to it, you won’t grow. It takes commitment.

Warren gives 2 tips on how to begin growing in Christ:

1. Do your part and God will do His part.
Philippians 2:12-13 tells us:

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

This gives 2 parts to the spiritual growth God desires for you. There is your part — having the desire and making the commitment to live in new ways. Then there is God’s part — God’s Spirit giving you the strength and working in you to accomplish this.
God promises to do His part if you will do your part.

2. Change your autopilot.
Your mind is your autopilot. The way you think determines the way you feel, which determines the way you act. Change the way you think and the way you feel and act will be changed also. Romans 12:2 says:

Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Change the way you think.
Let God change the way you think so you can begin thinking like Christ — thinking of ways to please God — thinking of ways to serve others.
Letting God change the way you think will change the way you feel — and the way you act.

You were created to become like Christ.
You can begin this process by doing your part, trusting God to do His part, and changing how you think.

Lord — Help me to become more and more like You. Help me to be committed to the process of spiritual growth, so that I can begin to think as You would have me to think, feel what You would have to feel, and do what You would have me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.