Day four of The Purpose Driven Life picks up where day three left off. After ending the previous day with an explanation of how this life is but a dress rehearsal for eternity, Warren keeps his focus on eternity. He says that earth is just “the preschool, the tryout for your life in eternity.” Humans were created to live forever, and regardless of who I am or what I believe, I will live forever. My time on earth is only the tiniest part of my life.
Warren quotes 2 Corinthians 5:1 which describes how my earthly body is but a “tent” compared to my future body which is a “house.” The point is clear. One is solid and enduring. The other is only temporary. Life on earth offers many choices, but eternity offers only two: heaven or hell. The relationship I have with God in this life will determine whether I spend eternity with Him or seperated from Him.
A knowledge of eternity is important as it will make me live in the light of eternity and determine how I handle every aspect of my life. So many things that are important in the 80 or 90 years I have here on earth fade to nothing in the light of eternity. Every action I take and every choice I make has eternal consequences! What a vast and intimidating thought! Why hoard wealth if I can have it only for my life here on earth? The very second I die it will no longer be mine. Building on this, Warren shows how God’s purpose for me does not end with life on earth. God’s purposes for me are eternal.
Bible Passages
In this chapter Warren quotes nine passages using 5 translations and paraphrases. I found his use of Scripture solid throughout the chapter.
Question To Consider
Today’s question to consider is “Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?” That really is a significant question. There are so many things that seem utterly insignificant in the light of eternity, yet consume my life. It is so easy to say that I should not be overly concerned with money while on this earth, and honestly I don’t think my life is consumed with materialism, yet I do spend the bulk of my week working just to scrape together enough money to support myself and my family. Is that wrong? I certainly don’t think it is. I supose there needs to be a balance where I work to provide for my family, yet do not work so much that I become consumed by it. Or perhaps the difference is in motives. Is there a difference between working with the motive of providing for my family and providing for minstries I support versus working because I believe money provides security? I guess there must be.
In the end I just find that it seems so strange that so much significance is placed on something so fleeting. Life on earth represents only the tiniest fraction of life eternal, yet the rest of eternity depends on it. As Warren says, “the deeds of this life are the destiny of the next.” The choice to serve God in this lifetime is the most important decision I have made since my place in eternity depends on it.
Up Next
Tomorrow’s topic is Seeing Life From God’s View
Comments (5) »
1. tammy
January 8, 2004
10:18 AM
i am real excited about learning my purpose in life,how to live my life in a christian way thank you for this journey.i’m experiencing a change ,i let go and put all my trust in GOD .he’s is everything i ever need .i know how to treat others
2. Max
February 25, 2004
10:01 PM
Is the Trinity Broadcasting Network involved with the 40 days of purpose program? On the kick off Sunday video with Rick Warren, pictures of Paul and Jan Crouch, Oral Roberts, Katherine Khulman, and Bennie Hinn were shown. What is up with this?
3. Tim
February 25, 2004
10:06 PM
I really have no idea, but I would imagine so. I think just about everyone is involved with it.
4. Ellen
May 27, 2004
8:58 PM
I did NOT like Rick Warren’s handling of scripture here. Am I over-reacting?
RE:Verse to Remember: “This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” I John 2:17
(Consider this verse in context.)
This Bible passage is important in that it calls us out of the world and away from its lusts (cravings). But, is it really “the world” (it) that is guilty of lust and the pride of life? No. The world itself does not lust; people do. Reading verse 17 in context we see that this passage addresses the way people may tend to live (vs. 16). When a teacher points to verse 17 only, guilt is comfortably displaced. This may serve Rick Warren’s purpose well, but it does not serve God’s purpose for having included this passage in the Bible in the first place. I don’t like that manipulation of scripture. Pointing to verse 17 only distorts and blurs the true meaning and import of this passage. It is our own lives which are at stake here. Truly, our lives are fading away, and we are the ones who have need to guard against lust and pride which is so easy to acquire; especially when we think we have finally arrived and when we are continually concerned only with self. Yes, it is important to be in God’s will and to be concerned with “our purpose” but there more to this passage than just vs 17.
RE: Chapter 4, Page 36
A little truth(T) mixed with a lot of false (F) information. It reads:
(1) “Life on earth is just a dress rehearsal before the real production (F).
(2.) “You will spend far more time on the other side of death – in eternity- than you will here.” (T)
(3.) “Earth is the staging area, the preschool, the tryout for your life in eternity. (F)
(4.) It is the practice workout before the actual game;(F)
(5.) “the warm-up lap before the race begins.”(F)
(6.) “This life is preparation for the next (almost T – but it is really MUCH more than simple preparation such as you would experience in preschool.)
This life is MORE than that. When you think of this life in connection to the next and in light of the whole, balanced word of God, this life actually determines where we will spend eternity, and there are only two choices; Heaven or Hell. For me, that makes this life paramount.
This life is NOT a dress rehearsal nor a preschool, nor a tryout. Contrary to what Rick Warren teaches, we will not have a second chance (as in next year’s school tryouts). This life is the REAL DEAL and after this life is the judgment. God’s own word has said it: [Hebrews 9:27 “… it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”] We are not just “warming up before the race begins”, we are definitely in a race right now, and we had better win this one.
According to the Word of God, I am in a race. We all are, unless we have dropped out. The Bible says, we ARE IN THE RACE RIGHT NOW and we are in it for a purpose. We are in it to obtain a crown(s) to lay at Jesus’ feet (Rev. 4:10. 11). Now, that is a purpose driven life! The Bible also says that we are not in this race alone, and instructs us as to how we should run the race.
I Corinthians 9:23-27 “And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you]. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway”.
2 Tim. 4:1-8 I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
5. allan registos
October 9, 2008
11:11 PM
ellen, the world pertains to people living on earth in context, not the land mass.