Purpose Driven Life: Day 16

WHAT MATTERS MOST



POINT TO PONDER:

Life is all about love.


VERSE TO REMEMBER:

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." [Gal 5:14 ]


RICK WARREN'S THOUGHTS:

Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like him, so love is the foundation of every command he has given us: "For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, `You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'" [Gal 5:14].

Jesus said our love for each other--not our doctrinal beliefs--is our greatest witness to the world. He said: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." [John 13:35].

Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: love God and love people. He said: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." [Matt 22:37-40].

After learning to love God (worship), learning to love others is the second purpose of your life.

The Best Expression of Love Is Time

The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them. The more time you give to something, the more you reveal its importance and value to you.

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

Whenever you give your time, you are making a sacrifice and sacrifice is the essence of love.

Love means giving up--yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or time for the benefit of someone else.


D-MONK'S THOUGHTS:

Loving others is the second purpose of our life. First, love God, then love neighbor. It doesn't get much more straight forward than this.

Where I think Rick Warren offers a real insight is on his concept of how love is expressed: time. When you think about it, there is no better way to say "I love you," than to spend time with a person. The workaholic may claim to be loving through providing financial support, but time is the greater gift.

So if the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love neighbor, I need to start spending more time with both!