Monday, February 12, 2018

A Purpose Driven Life - Chapter 5

A Purpose Driven Life Chapter 5 - What is Life?

Chapter Overview:  How different people describe life.  If you could boil down life into a word or a statement, what word or statement would it be?  Rick talks about our two different words that could describe our life and relationship with God.  A test, and a trust.  

Trusting God on the straight and narrow path of life - foggy hillside path

2011 (40 years old)

God tests us in our lives just like He tested people in the bible.  Hezekiah, Joseph, Jacob, Moses, and David, and Jesus were all tested.  We are tested too.  When you understand that life (all of life) is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.  Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development.  Every day is an important day, every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, to depend on God.

God also entrusts us with gifts to look after in our lives.  Finances, children, talents, etc.  What do we do with them?  Are we faithful stewards?

2016 (45 years old)

Life is a test and a trust. What has happened to me recently that I now realize was a test from God?  What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?  Tests from God lately: 
  • Playing bass at church this week vs. what Ewa (my wife) wants.  She wanted me to go to church with her, instead of her going by herself. 
  • Vacation to Texas.  I was really concerned with Ewa and I arguing about silly things like 'where would we eat?', 'what would we do today?', 'where would we go and when?'  In the end, it was a great vacation, but definitely one I was concerned about before we started. 
  • Issue with brakes in the pilot.  We had a lot of 'items' come up on our last checkup with Honda.  One of them was the brake piston was 'sticking'  It turned out that the brake piston ended up seizing and we HAD to get it fixed.  We were considering looking at new vehicles, but since then have decided to put that on hold for a bit. 
  • Issues with Ewa's knee. 
Greatest matters I'm entrusted with?  My children. Providing for my family.  Kids at school in the band?  Influence at church and people I'm in contact with everyday.  I like, and I can certainly relate to the metaphors of life being a test and a trust. I subconsciously think about this almost every day.  Another test I felt recently covers both these issues - buying all seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation. Test and stewardship.  (I ended up not buying them - felt I'd waste too much time watching)


For background on what these 'Purpose Driven Life' posts are about, click this link.
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 1 - Its Not About Me
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 2 - You Are Not an Accident
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 3 - What Drives You?
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 4 - Eternity In Our Hearts
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 6 - Life on Earth is a Temporary Assignment
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 7 - The Reason for Everything
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 8 - You Were Planned for God's Pleasure
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 9 - What Makes God Smile?
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 10 - The Surrendered Life
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 11 - Friend of God
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 12 - Friend of God II
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 13 - Worship That Pleases God
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 14 - When God Isn't There
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 15 - Part of God's Family
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 16 - What Matters Most
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 17 - You Belong
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 18 - Life is Meant to be Shared
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 19 - Made for Community
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 20 - Restoring Broken Fellowship
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 21 - Unity of the Church
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 22 - Transformed to be Like Christ
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 23 - Transformed by Thought
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 24 - Transformed By Truth
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 25 - Transformed by Trouble
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 26 - Transformed by Temptation
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 27 - Defeating Temptation
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 28 - It Takes Time
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 29 - Shaped for Serving God
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 30 - Our Place in Serving
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 31 - Finding Your Specific Purpose
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 32 - Using What God Gave You
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 33 - How Real Servants Act
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 34 - Thinking Like a Servant
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 35 - God Uses Our Weaknesses
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 36 - You Were Made for a Mission
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 37 - Sharing Your Life Message
  • My Appendix to Chapter 37
  • My Testimony Based on Chapter 37
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 38 - Becoming a World-Class Christian
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 39 - Balance
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 40 - Living With Purpose
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