Day 3 - What Drives Me?
Everyone is driven by something. I am. You are. We all are. Whether we know it or not, whether we admit it or not, we are all driven by something. And given our complete tendency to do the wrong thing, most likely, we all struggle with being driven by the wrong things.
I have been pretty well immersed in this purpose-driven stuff since college. Like Aaron said on Sunday, he and I read Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Church near the end of our senior year. It was a revelation. I taught it in my first church, a congregation that desperately needed a renewed vision. In my second church, I was a youth and outreach pastor. I read and reread The Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields. I chaired a committee that was charged with helping our church clarify and restructure around its purpose. In my last church, I taught a purpose-driven series every year I was there, including doing a 40 days of purpose campaign similar to Life Together. I have been to Purpose-Driven church conferences. I get a weekly pastors’ email from Rick Warren. I tell you all this so to give you a sense that this stuff has become a big part of how I view life and church.
But day-in-and-day-out, how purpose-driven am I, really? I spend a lot of time thinking about how to best care for my family, but that doesn’t necessarily make me purpose-driven. It might make me relationships-driven. I spend a lot of time thinking about Vintage, but that doesn’t necessarily make me purpose-driven. It might make me dream- or goal-driven. And I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can relax. But that might make me comfort-driven.
My intention to be purpose-driven does not always match my reality.
For me, to be purpose-driven, I have got to reorient or recalibrate my life, almost on a daily basis. I have got to ask myself the hard questions of why I do what I do. I need to creatively examine how I can step outside of my comfort zone to meet a need or to share Jesus. I have got to make relationships with friends a priority. I have got to be conscious of God in everything.
These are big challenges for me. But I am thrilled to have friends like you walking this journey with me. What drives you? Let’s talk about it.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:03 am
So much is awesome about this book. (By the way, it is killing me not to read ahead! I guess I feel so flawed, and lost sometimes. I had so much hurt and distrust about Christianity, that I find myself always in my head, unless I am worshippiong, or the kids are in bed. I am super glad that Vintage is here, that I am living for this Kingdom. I had given up hope. As i work through these daily thoughts, the underlying theme is , this is for me? I am loved, always was? I have a hope and a purpose and there was a reason for all that? I think I have said that I believed those things for years, even since before I was a Christian(again). But Jesus is the only way I have begun to actually feel HOPE, in my heart. It is so new for me that it leaves me breathless with watery eyes. Sometimes during church I just want to grab you, or Vanessa and say-”this is really real, right, I mean, you have felt this too. It is just awesome.
I have always asked myself, “How can I change what drives me, How can I break these chains and patterns that bind me.
I can’t!
God can.
Believe it or not, that is just now sinking in.
Thanks for the love, Ryerse’s and Marshall’s. Your little dream has transformed at least one nutty family, up in the hills!
Viva La Vintage!
April 18th, 2007 at 9:55 am
This one kind of scares me. Do I really have to give up my dreams? I don’t know if I can… I want so badly to be a published author. I don’t know how to give that away. Or are we saying that its okay to have other things driving us as long as God is number one?
I am convinced that my life needs recalibration, but I really want to be sure what God wants for my life before I move forward. When I do, I want it to be for keeps…
April 18th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Candice, thanks for your encouragement. You choked me up a little bit.
Robin, I know what you mean. I feel the same way about Vintage - like sometimes all that I want in the world is for it to “succeed.” I think one thing that will emerge as we move through these 40 days is that God made each of us different for a reason, that we all have so much to offer that no one can. Motivation is key. Do I want this to happen so that I can be famous or comfortable or self-confident? Or do I want it to happen so that God can be glorified and better known? Morivations are much messier to evaluate, aren’t they?
April 19th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
I think the motivation is the key. Who’s to say that God isn’t interested in you succeeding where you truly desire to be? I think one of the long-term goals in life is for us to be close enough to God to want what He wants for us. When that happens, when we actually desire the things He’s wanting to do for us, amazing, life-changing things happen!