On day 3 we get to a definition of “Purpose Driven Life” in asking ourselves — what drives your life?
drive;
verb
to guide, control or direct
to set or keep in motion or operation
to press or force into an activity, course, or direction
What drives my life? What keeps it in motion? What forces me into activity? What leads me to follow and pursue a certain course or direction?
A really heavy question that requires a moment (or more) of quiet searching and reflecting.
I would have to admit that what most often drives me, what most often moves me into activity is a pursuit of comfort and “success.” A drive to find the ever elusive “happiness” or what I think will make me happy.
That is my default go to when it is time to make a big decision or when I begin to feel myself unhappy or discontent with a place or situation and it really is a conscious effort to pause in those moments, pray, seek God and see where my motivations are.
When I really analyze it, underlying this pursuit of comfort, of “success” (by my own and the world’s definition) is FEAR. Yup. Fear. Fear of not having what I need to be comfortable. Fear of not living up to my own expectations, the expectations of those around me.
Fear… always rearing it’s ugly head!
One tactic that I have used in the past against this is to get quiet before God with whatever decision or burden I am facing and ask Him to expose my motivations. If a decision is motivated by fear – I know it is not the choice to make, but rather just the opposite.
There is no fear in love,
1 John 4:18
But perfect love drives out [ALL] fear
Perfect love casts out, drives out, expels ALL FEAR. Asking myself this question has led me across continents, into career fields I would have never chosen for myself and preparing for a new phase of life after one crazy intercontinental adventure. All while discovering (and rediscovering) new depths of God’s sovereignty, protection and love.
I believe stepping out in the face of fear, and trusting God is essential to living a purpose driven life.
Purpose Driven Life:
a life guided, controlled and directed by God’s Purposes
Knowing Him. Trusting Him. Following Him. Directed and moved into action by God’s call and command. A purpose driven life. A God driven life. A life of trust and peace – even in the midst of fear and uncertainty.
You keep him in perfect peace
Isaiah 26:3
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
