This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Do you strive to fulfill God’s purpose for your life? Why should you?
You were created to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Pastor and author Rick Warren outlines six reasons why you should embrace your reason for being.
Keep reading to learn why you should seek to fulfill God’s purpose for your life.
Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Your Life
At some point, you’ve likely asked yourself about the meaning of your life and what you were put on earth to do. The answer from a Christian perspective is at once simple and complex: God created you to fulfill the purposes he’s planned for you.
There are six reasons to commit yourself to fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.
Reason 1: It’s not about you. Many people guess at the meaning of their lives and speculate that they’re meant to fulfill their own purposes. However, the Bible reveals that your life’s meaning isn’t actually about you. Everything in your life—your significance, identity, and purpose—traces back to God. Your life isn’t about fulfilling your purposes, but his.
Reason 2: You’re here for a reason. God planned your life and designed you perfectly to fulfill his purposes. Every aspect of your life—including your physical features, personality, parents, and so on—is a gift. You can’t repay God for all he’s given you, but you can express your gratitude by fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.
Reason 3: Being driven by purpose creates peace. Everyone’s driven by different motivations—external factors such as problems or pressure, emotional factors like anxiety or fear, or moral factors like values and beliefs. The wrong motivations, such as guilt or materialism, destroy the possibility of peace in your life because you’ll always feel anxious, unsure, or “not enough.” On the other hand, being driven by God’s purposes creates peace, in several ways:
- Your life is simplified. All you must do is fulfill God’s purpose for your life.
- Rather than being spread among too many goals or ideas, your energy becomes solely purpose-focused—making you more effective in what you do.
- Clear purposes add motivation and hope to your everyday work because it feels like you’re working for something.
Reason 4: There is life beyond this. The Bible explains that after this life, God’s children who have served him can look forward to a life in eternity. When you seek to fulfill God’s purpose for your life, you can look forward to eternal life.
Reason 5: Life is a test and a responsibility. Accepting God’s purpose allows you to reframe the way you see your life.
- God will give you conflicts, changes, and success to challenge your faith, your character, your love, and so on. Knowing that your struggles are tests gives them meaning.
- Everything you have—including your talents, the natural world, your relationships, and so on—are gifts entrusted to you by God, and you’re expected to take care of them. This knowledge lends a profound sense of duty to your life.
Reason 6: Everything is by and for God. Everything in the universe was made by God to demonstrate his glory—that is, his essence, presence, power, and love. There’s no possible way for us to enhance God’s glory—it’s the most powerful, complete thing in the universe. Instead, we express our gratitude for all that God has given us by showing his glory.
You show his glory each time you fulfill one of the five purposes he assigned you: worship, unselfish fellowship, spiritual maturity, your ministry, and your mission.
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Here's what you'll find in our full The Purpose Driven Life summary :
- The meaning of life from a Christian perspective
- The five purposes that you were created by God to fulfill
- How to find the unique service you were made for
