1. Live With A Purpose
2. Live To Please God
3. Live Together
4. Live Like Christ
5. Live To Serve
6. Live Out Your Mission

You Were Made For A Mission

Warren continues the discussion of this purpose while he also begins to bring the book to a conclusion in day 39 — Balancing Your Life.

Warren begins with an illustration of the Olympics event the pentathlon, where athletes compete in various events. The object of the pentathlon is to succeed in all the various events. Warren emphasizes that our lives is a pentathlon of sorts of the 5 purposes God has for our lives:

You were made for God’s pleasure
You were formed for God’s family
You were created to become like Christ
You were shaped for serving God
You were made for a mission

He gives 4 tips on how you can be balanced in all of these areas:

1. Find (or start) a small group of fellow Christians where you can discuss the 5 purposes God has for your life and help each other in your progress in these areas.
Discussing these purposes, and finding others you can be accountable to for your growth in these purposes, will help you in your progress.

2. Give yourself a regular spiritual check — up.
Periodically evaluate how you are doing in these 5 purposes.

3. Write down your progress in a journal.
A spiritual journal is more than a diary of events. It needs to be a record of the ways you have seen God working in your life — or the “life lessons” God has taught you.

4. Pass on what you know to others.
The best way to grow in these 5 purposes is to share them with others. God will bless you as you do this.

It is not easy to balance your life between the 5 purposes God has for your life, but God wills for you to have these purposes, and will strengthen you in them as you strive to grow and balance your life in these areas.

Lord — I want to have the 5 purposes You have created me for balanced in my life. Let me live out Your purposes as Your servant in the world.

You Were Made For A Mission

Warren continues this theme in day 38 — Becoming A World - Class Christian. Beginning with the sentence: The Great Commission is your commission Warren stresses that you are called to show God’s love to the world.

Warren outlines 4 steps that can help you become what he calls a “world - class Christian” — a Christian committed to go into the world with God’s message and love.

1. You have to quit thinking about yourself and begin thinking about others.
You can pray that God will help you have a sense of how you can reach out to others. If you pray for a sense of how you can reach out to others, God will bless you with it.

2. You need to think globally.
Pray that God will help you have a heart for those who need to know Him throughout the world. Begin looking at the world with what Warren calls “Great Commission eyes” — seeing how you can help take the gospel to all the world.
Warren says that the best way to do this is to get involved in a mission trip to a foreign country. This would certainly help you see things in a more global light.

3. You need to quit thinking about the “here and now” and start thinking about eternity.
God wants you to think about things such as making sure others know about His love more than you think about things that are not really as important.

4. You need to stop making excuses and start looking for ways to reach others.
Instead of saying: “I can’t reach others for Christ”, look at all the ways you can do it!

God wants you to be a world - class Christian — going into the world to show His love and saving power!

Lord — Help me to see the importance of Your mission in the world, and help me to have the desire to take part in it. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

You Were Made For A Mission

Warren continues this discussion in day 37 — Sharing Your Life Message. Beginning with the sentence: God has given you a Life Message to share Warren writes that God wants you speak to the world through you. God has given you a message — a Life Message. This involves:

1. Your testimony.
This is your story of how you came to know Jesus and the difference He has made in your life. Sharing your story of what Jesus has done for you is vital. People who do not know Christ as their Savior are more apt to listen to the testimony of an excited lay person than to the most eloquent preacher. It’s important to give your testimony — to share your story.

2. Your life lessons
These are the things God has taught you in your life. You need to be willing to share what you have learned about God in your life, as well as learn from what others have learned about God from their life experiences.

3. Your Godly passions.
God is passionate about many things.
God gives His people passions for the things He is passionate about.
God will give you a passion for something He is passionate about — something that needs to be done in the world for His glory. Pray for God to give you a passion for what can be done for Him, and follow it!

4. The Good News
God gives you a way to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ every day. Take advantage of them!

God has blessed you with a Life Message — a particular way to share His love and get His mission done in the world. Discover how you can communicate God through your life!

Lord God, Help me to see how I can share Your love and do Your work through all the aspects of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

You Were Made For A Mission

Warren begins the discussion of this purpose with day 36 — Made For A Mission. Beginning with the sentence: You were made for a mission Warren emphasizes the truth that God is at work in the world, and wants His people to join Him.

Your mission in the world is important.
Why is it important?

1. Your mission is a continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth.
Warren reminds us that Matthew 28:19-20:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

is called “The Great Commission” and not “The Great Suggestions”. In other words, to not be a part of the mission of God that Jesus gives us would be disobedience on our part.

2. Your mission is a wonderful privilege.
It is an awesome responsibility, but it is also the greatest privilege there is.

3. Telling others about how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.
You know the greatest news of all time. If you fail to share it you are not helping others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

4. Your mission has eternal significance.
You need to commit yourself to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. You can start doing this where you are.

5. Your mission gives your life meaning.
Your mission is the meaning and purpose for your life. If you fail to commit yourself to it, you have wasted the gifts God gave you to for accomplishing your mission.

6. God’s timetable for history’s conclusion is connected to your completion of your mission.
While we do not know when Jesus will return, we do know that Jesus will not return all that are supposed to hear the good news of salvation have an opportunity to do so.

You are made to join God in His ministry to the world. Use what God has given you to reach out to others with His love.

Lord God, You have created me and gifted me for Your mission in the world. Let me use what You have given me to do Your work and will in the world.In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

This post gives links to my posts on purposes 1-3.

Here are the links to my posts on Purpose 4:

Day 29 — Accepting Your Assignment
Day 30 — Shaped For Serving God
Day 31 — Understanding Your Shape
Day 32 — Using What God Gave You
Day 33 — How Real Servants Act
Day 34 — Thinking Like A Servant
Day 35 — God’s Power In Your Weakness

Warren continues this discussion in day 35 — God’s Power In Your Weakness. Beginning with the sentence: God loves to use weak people , Warren stresses that our weaknesses can be used for God’s glory, and to even draw us, and others, closer to God.

God seems to allow our weaknesses so His power can be shown through them. The trick is allowing God to work through them. Here are 4 tips Warren gives to help you let God’s power work through your weaknesses:

1. Admit your weaknesses
No one is perfect. The sooner you admit that you have weaknesses, the sooner God can begin to work through them.

2. Be content with your weaknesses
Your weaknesses keep your ego in check. They can act as a governor of sorts to keep us from running ahead of what God wills for us to be doing.
Your weaknesses can also encourage fellowship with others as you see how you need their gifts to compensate for your weaknesses.

3. Honestly share your weaknesses.
Be willing to be vulnerable and share your weaknesses and struggles with others. This can help build community and can help you relate better to others who may be struggling with the same issues you are struggling with.

4. Glory in your weaknesses.
Your weaknesses can make you more dependent upon God, and that’s a good thing!

Your weaknesses can be used by God to keep you closer to God and others. They can also enhance your ability to serve God if you let God work through them.

Lord God, Help me to depend more on You. Help me to let You shine through my weaknesses, so that I may reach out to others with Your love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, pg. 265)

Think about it!

Warren continues this theme in day 34 — Thinking Like A Servant. Beginning with the sentence: Service starts in your mind Warren stresses that most people have to undergo a “mental shift”, or a change in attitudes, to be a servant. Warren illustrates this in the 5 points he raises about the attitude of a servant:

1. Servants think more about others than about themselves
If you using your gifts and abilities to serve God and others, you need to focus on others, not on yourself. This does not mean you think less of yourself, but that you think of yourself less. There is a difference!

2. Servants think like stewards, not owners
All that you have — your gifts, your abilities, your money — everything — really belongs to God. It all has been given to you by God to use to serve Him and others.

3. Servants think about their work, not what others are doing.
You can’t try to compare what you are doing with what others are doing or feel superior to others. Everyone has a different gift. Focus on using yours to be best of your ability without worrying about how others are using theirs!

4. Servants base their identity in Christ
The more you humbly see yourself as using your gifts and talents as a servant of Christ — the gave Himself for you — the more you can give of yourself for others.

5. Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
The opportunities you have to use your gifts and talents are opportunities to do God’s work in the world.

Warren ends day 34 with a challenge:

Imagine what would happen if just 10% of the Christians in the world got serious about being servants. Imagine what could be done for God’s glory. Will you use your gifts for the ministry God calls you to do?

Lord — Give me the attitude of a servant. Let me use what You have given me for Your glory and for the benefit of others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Warren continues this theme in day 33 — How Real Servants Act. Beginning with the sentence: We serve God by serving others Warren stresses that God counts greatness as service, not being served. This goes against the feeling of many people in the world, but it God’s way.

Warren gives 6 qualities he feels are important top have if you are going to be a servant:

1. Make yourself available.
Real servants are ready to serve whenever they are needed.

2. Pay attention to needs.
Look for ways to serve. Don’t wait to be asked to do something — look for what needs to be done and do it.

3. Do your best with what you have.
Don’t think that you’ll be able to do something when you learn more about God, or have more experience. God wants you to go with what you have.

4. Do every task with dedication
Whatever your task is, whatever your ministry is, whatever God is calling you do, do to the best of your ability.

5. Be faithful
Be someone people can count on to help when help is needed.

6. Maintain a low profile.
Don’t serve so others will notice what you are doing, serve so others will benefit from what you are doing.

If you want to be a real servant, be ready and willing to do what is needed — regardless of what it is.

Prayer: Lord God, Help me to be a servant for You and others. Help me to do what I can, where I can. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.