"What Drives your Life? Day 3
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Ecclesiastes 4:4
I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy!
But this, too, is foolishness, chasing the wind.
Drive- to direct, control or guide.
Everyone's life is driven by something. A health problem, a pressure or deadline. Some by a painful memory, fear or belief. Many situations may drive our lives, of the hundreds Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life list 5 of them.
Guilt, resentment and anger, materialism and the need for approval. I can relate to several.
Guilt
Many people are driven by guilt and manipulated by memories. They spend a lot of their life running from regrets and shame. They allow their past to control their future. Through self-punishment, they sabotage their own success. We are products of our past but we do not have to be prisoners. There are many occurrences in the Bible that prove God's purpose in our life is not limited to our past. God specializes in a fresh new start.
Resentment and Anger
Quite often many people are driven by resentment and anger. They hold on to the hurt and never get over them. Instead of releasing their pain through forgiveness they rehearse the pain over and over in their minds. Some resentment-driven people "clam up" and internalize their anger, while others "blow up" and explode it on to others. Neither way is good. Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent who has probably moved on. Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you unless you hold on to it. Your past is your past!
Fear
Fear may be the result of a traumatic experience. Regardless of the reason, fear is a False Expectation Appearing Real.
Fear-driven people often miss great opportunities for fear of venturing outside of their comfort zone. Fear is self-imposed and will hinder you from God's will in your life. Move against fear with faith and love.
Materialism
The desire to have becomes the goal based on the misconception that having more creates happiness, importance, and security. This is not true. Things are only temporary. Self-worth is not determined by your valuables and God says the most valuable things are not things. Real security is your relationship with God that can not be taken away.
Need for Approval
One key to failure is to try and please everyone. Being controlled by others opinions is a way to miss an opportunity
for God's purpose. Many of us are still trying to win the approval of our unpleasable parents or by peer pressure. Those who follow the crowd get lost.
"Nothing matters more than knowing God's purposes for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing them. "
Rick Warren
Job 5:2 For wrath kills a foolish man, And envy slays a simple one.
Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
I John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
May God Bless you.
The journey continues...
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your love; mercy, and kindness. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!it. I pray, Amen.
