Day Three: In Which We Discuss Driving

It’s driven me before
And it seems to have a vague, haunting mass appeal
But lately I’m beginning to find that God
Should be the one behind the wheel
Incubus, Drive (with a minor modification)

Alright, people, are you ready for more? I wasn’t joking about the forty days thing. It’s a good thing these chapters are short, cause it’s one-a-day over here.

The title of Chapter Trois is “What Drives Your Life?” Mr. Warren hits on five common drives that will steer you in the wrong direction: Guilt, Resentment, Fear, Materialism, and Need for Approval. If I were to rank them by the order that each of those things drives my own life, it’d be:

Need for Approval

I really, really look to others to find my own self-worth. I have an immense desire for other people to approve of me and admire me. What I need is to seek for God’s approval first and foremost! I need to turn my desire for love towards God instead of towards those around me. God’s love is worth an infinite amount more than the love of anyone or anything else.

Guilt

This one is a little more subconscious, but I do think this is my #2. I become so depressed by my own failures that it drives me into myself–like an animal burrowing into the earth, I crawl into a corner of my mind and sulk, barely even able to function. My guilt and depression lay waste to the desires that God has for me. I bury my talents in the ground, and they return no interest. But the cure for guilt is faith in God’s forgiveness! God knows I am a sinner, but even in the midst of my sin, I am forgiven when I repent and turn to God. I won’t let my selfish guilt destroy God’s plan.

Fear

How often I just stay in my room, both literally and figuratively, and seek after comfortableness instead of God’s desire for my life. This is pure cowardice in its traditional form–I am afraid of spiritual, emotional, and physical battle. I am afraid of confrontation and breaking down the walls of my status quo to reveal the world that God made outside of them. God, help me to challenge myself to break through the walls of my comfort zone.

Resentment

“I’ll show them,” is a feeling that sometimes crosses my mind–as if proving to people that I am awesome will make me happier or give me a better feeling of self-worth. Inevitably, it does neither. It just makes me feel like a pompous idiot. For me, this is really just a slightly different version of Need for Approval, with the same solution. I need to seek God’s idea of awesomeness, not my own.

Materialism

I really want an iPhone. Like, a lot. But even after two years, I still haven’t bought one. So I guess I’m doing alright there. Although I did just buy myself about $800 worth of computer equipment. :-O So, maybe not. God, help me to keep a tight rein on what I spend your money on.

So, instead of being driven by any or all of those things, the idea behind the book (which, as you’ll recall, is entitled The Purpose-Driven Life) is that we are instead driven by our purpose. Warren gives a list of the benefits gained from knowing one’s purpose: meaning, simplicity, focus, motivation, and preparation for eternity. The more I read, especially through Rick’s ideas of the benefits of purpose, the more I am convinced that purpose is exactly what I am missing in life. I feel aimless because I don’t see the meaning in my life. I feel overwhelmed because I don’t have clear priorities to weed out unnecessary distractions. I’m lazy and impotent because I don’t have the focus necessary to really do anything. I have no motivating passion that gives me strength to do the hard things. And I get caught up in the here-and-now because I don’t have a clear idea of God’s eternal purpose for me.

Alright, I’m ready, God. What’s my purpose?

…

I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that easy, but I thought it was worth a shot.