The Purpose Driven Life, Good Habits to Develop

Rick Warren gives four important activities for purpose-driven living.   A scripture he uses in this chapter is Proverbs 27:17:  “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other. 

1)  Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group.  In I Thessalonian Paul writes: “Encourage each other and give each other strength.”  I have found that in reading some blogs, this is exactly what is being done.  We are opening up ourselves with others.  Several of the blogs I read have such examples.  People going through difficult times and they blog about them.  Others will leave comments of encouragement.  This is just one way we can participate in talking through issues.  Of course small groups are excellent.  When we used The Purpose Driven Life  for our Sunday School class we helped each other.  It took us over 18 months to go through the book because we stopped and had discussions.

2)  Give yourself a regular spiritual check-up.  I do this often especially if I get grumpy or cranky.  It is important that when we give ourselves this check-up .  It is important that we don’t compare ourselves with others.  The Bible says:  “We dare not compare ourselves with others, it is not wise.”  II Corinthians 10:12  II Corinthians 13:5 “Make sure you are solid in the faith.  Do not drift along taking everything for granted.  Give yourselves regular checkups…test it out.  If you fail the test, do something about it. “

3)  Write down your progress in a journal.  When I was sorting out some books of mine, I came across a journal I had written many years ago.  It mentioned the struggles I was having and I am not having those struggles today.  It showed me how I had grown in an area of my life. 

4)  Pass on what you know to others.    This can be done just like you share every day things with others.  We like to tell others about our pets, our family, recipes and things like that.  Just make it natural when you pass it on to others.  Your children and their friends need to have a believer pass on to them the message of hope and peace we find in our Lord.   Get excited, tell others what God has done in your life.   The message of the cross is full of hope and security.

I learned James 4:17 many years ago:  “Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning.”  Rick Warren has used over a thousand scripture references when he wrote The Purpose Driven Life.  I certainly recommend your getting a copy and read it. 

The next blog will begin the wrap up of the book.  It is Chapter 40.  I hope you will join me as I journal.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you will come back and visit again.