Day 40. Living with Purpose

Day 40. Living With Purpose

I was about to wrap this up when I realized that Warren intends us to live with purpose from day 41 on! To quote the Yogi, “It isn’t over ‘til it’s over!”

Warren’s encouragement to be specific in our spiritual lives is good because most of us find our spiritual priorities squeezed out by other things. Yet, since most of us in this study are lay people, we need to set our priorities such that our physical and spiritual lives come together.

Some thoughts: I’m a Stephen Covey fan, and a big fan of his book, First Things First (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994). Covey says that we need to balance our physical, social, mental and spiritual areas. His bottom line is that we need “to live, to love, to learn, and to leave a legacy. His one sentence (albeit run-on) life statement is “to live in moderation as if you just had heart attack, to talk of others as if they can over hear you, to consider the half-life of all knowledge as two years, and to live as if every 90 days your have a one-hour face-to-face to settle your accountability with your maker.” (Covey television interview)

To live means to provide home and hearth for ourselves and our families. What if we were to add that we wanted to do those things that lift one here and one abroad to a level where they can sustain themselves?

To love is our need for family and social interactions that make us alive and all that God intended. Worship, family and fellowship must have priorities here.

To learn is becoming a bigger task. I think that graduating high school seniors need to be prepared to educate and re-educate themselves at least three times in their life-time. And we cannot live a moral life without a moral foundation. A continual education in spiritual matters is called for. Part of discipleship: becoming like Christ.

To leave a legacy. We are not complete without service. “12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:12b-15)That was on Maunday Thursday (maunday is from the same root as command). Jesus told his disciples, “34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

Integrating our awareness of spiritual purpose through Warren's book with Covey’s life areas seems life a good way to balance our lives with purpose.

What are you going to do on day 41?

Blessings,

Rick