The Purpose

It's kind of ironic that this blog has gone where it has, because in my Saturday morning men's group, we're starting The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. This book (and it's 8 billion ancillary items, all available at your local bookstore) has two premises:

• You need to figure out your purpose in life and live according to it. If you do that, you add meaning to your life and decision making becomes much easier.
• God has a purpose for you and it's all part of a big plan--His plan.

The first premise is very attractive. It's the core of strategic decision-making. If you don't have an overriding purpose in life, then you make a series of reactive, tactical decisions that might keep you afloat, but will never advance you toward your goal, except by accident. If you determine your purpose, then you have a litmus test for everything you do. Will it advance my purpose? If the answer is no, you don't do it.

In a Christian context, I suppose if the answer is no, you might be about to sin. And while it's not okay to sin, we all do it, and we need to make room to allow people to be redeemed, but that's another topic.

By having a purpose, you can play to win, rather than playing not to lose. In all honesty, I've spent a good deal of my life playing not to lose.

I suppose now that life seems more finite to me, there's more urgency for me to figure out my purpose and advance it. Personally, I think I've started that, but I still have more to do. My purpose is to be a good father and husband first. It makes decisions about advancement pretty easy, but I also strain against it more than I should.

As for the second bullet, I believe that God probably has a purpose for each of our lives, but it's a very loose-fitting purpose. I think we exist to get to know Him and love Him so we can go home to Him later on. And what a joyful thing that will be! I think He gave us a spirit of boldness to use the gifts and abilities we have to their best. That's what the parable of the talents is all about. We have a light and should not hide it under a barrel.

But I don't believe that we are part of a giant divine chess game. I don't think God's purpose for me was to work in the New York State Legislature, then go to programming school, then work on DOD contracts, then do training... I think the purpose is at a higher level than that.

To deal with reality, as it occurs, with open eyes and a bold spirit; to love others, even when it's hard; and to find my way to Him.