Purpose Driven Life - Day 4

SEEING LIFE FROM GOD'S VIEW



POINT TO PONDER:

There is more to life than just here and now.

VERSE TO REMEMBER:

The world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.

1 John 2:17


WARREN'S THOUGHTS

This life is not all there is.

This life is preparation for the next.

When you live in light of eternity, your values change. You use your time and money more wisely. You place a higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered.


MY THOUGHTS

I have to admit that this is one area where I have some disagreements with Warren and those who think like him. The argument is that life here and now is brief and short while the "next" life is long and permanent. Therefore, decisions we make today should be based on fears or hopes about the next life.

I think this analogy misrepresents the true nature of time and our experience of time.

If measuring in some discreet unit such as hours or years, it may be true that heaven/eternity will represent a much larger value than our lifespan on earth. But there is no direct evidence that time has any meaning other than for our earthly lives. Like the rest of our universe, time is something created. The only time we may ever know is the time we have on earth.

But the other part of the message is important: this time is not the purpose of our lives. It really flows from the earlier reflections--it's not about me.

We can choose to live each day as if the purpose of the day is determined by ourselves or as if each day has been given purpose by the Creator. If we believe in a Creator/God/Higher Power, that will change how we should go about living each day. Do we receive each day as a gift, or do we take each day as a possession? Do we try simply to get the most pleasure possible for ourselves, or do we offer ourselves to something greater?

Still, I don't think we should try to scare people into changing their behavior because they'll have to live forever with the consequences. The truth is that the only time people have choices about is now. Use that now in a way that gives meaning to all the other moments of your life!