The Purpose Driven Life(93)
Write down your progress in a journal. The best way to reinforce your progress in fulfilling God’s purposes for your life is to keep a spiritual journal. This is not a diary of events, but a record of the life lessons you don’t want to forget. The Bible says, “It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.”8 We remember what we record.
Writing helps clarify what God is doing in your life. Dawson Trotman used to say, “Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips.” The Bible has several examples of God telling people to keep a spiritual journal. It says, “At the LORD’s direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress.”9 Aren’t you glad Moses obeyed God’s command to record Israel’s spiritual journey? If he had been lazy, we would be robbed of the powerful life lessons of the Exodus.
While it’s unlikely that your spiritual journal will be as widely read as Moses’ was, yours is still important. The New International Version says, “Moses recorded the stages in their journey.” Your life is a journey, and a journey deserves a journal. I hope you will write about the stages of your spiritual journey in living a purpose-driven life.
Don’t just write down the pleasant things. As David did, record your doubts, fears, and struggles with God. Our greatest lessons come out of pain, and the Bible says God keeps a record of our tears.10 Whenever problems occur, remember that God uses them to fulfill all five purposes in your life: Problems force you to focus on God, draw you closer to others in fellowship, build Christlike character, provide you with a ministry, and give you a testimony. Every problem is purpose-driven.
In the middle of a painful experience, the psalmist wrote, “Write down for the coming generation what the LORD has done, so that people not yet born will praise him.”11 You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you fulfill his purposes on earth. It is a witness that will continue to speak long after you’re in heaven.
Pass on what you know to others. If you want to keep growing, the best way to learn more is to pass on what you have already learned. Proverbs tells us, “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.”12 Those who pass along insights get more from God.
You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you fulfill his purposes on earth.
Now that you understand the purpose of life, it is your responsibility to carry the message to others. God is calling you to be his messenger. Paul said, “Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others.”13 In this book I have passed on to you what others taught me about the purpose of life; now it’s your duty to pass that on to others.
You probably know hundreds of people who do not know the purpose of life. Share these truths with your children, your friends, your neighbors, and those you work with. If you give this book to a friend, add your personal note on the dedication page.
The more you know, the more God expects you to use that knowledge to help others. James said, “Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning.”14 Knowledge increases responsibility. But passing along the purpose of life is more than an obligation; it’s one of life’s greatest privileges. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone knew their purpose. Paul said, “If you teach these things to other followers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus.”15
IT’S ALL FOR GOD’S GLORY
The reason we pass on what we learn is for the glory of God and the growth of his kingdom. The night before he was crucified, Jesus reported to his Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”16 When Jesus prayed these words, he had not yet died for our sins, so what “work” had he completed? In this instance he was referring to something other than the atonement. The answer lies in what he said in the next twenty verses of his prayer.17
Jesus told his Father what he had been doing for the last three years: preparing his disciples to live for God’s purposes. He helped them to know and love God (worship), taught them to love each other (fellowship), gave them the Word so they could grow to maturity (discipleship), showed them how to serve (ministry), and sent them out to tell others (mission). Jesus modeled a purpose-driven life, and he taught others how to live it, too. That was the “work” that brought glory to God.
Today God calls each of us to the same work. Not only does he want us to live out his purposes, he also wants us to help others do the same. God wants us to introduce people to Christ, bring them into his fellowship, help them grow to maturity and discover their place of service, and then send them out to reach others, too.