Summary
First published: Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2002
Genre(s): Nonfiction
Subgenre(s): Devotions; handbook for living; instructional manual
Core issue(s): Church; daily living; discipleship; holiness; salvation; trust in God
Overview
Based on a biblical model of taking forty days to develop new patterns for ministry, Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life is divided into forty chapters, one for each day of a spiritual pilgrimage toward better understanding God’s purpose in the reader’s life. The first seven days are devoted to examining the purpose and meaning of life. To signal how this volume contrasts with many works that are focused on making people feel good and be successful, Warren begins with a clear statement that the purpose of life is much larger than personal fulfillment, peace of mind, or happiness. The meaning and purpose of life come not from focusing on the self but from knowing and working with the author of life, namely God. This seven-day segment of the book emphasizes the providence of God in creating people to enjoy God’s fellowship forever through faith in Jesus Christ. Life on earth is intended by God as a preparation for eternity, and this process is part of God’s purpose for each human being.
The second seven-day segment of the book treats the first purpose of life that Warren has identified: People are planned for God’s pleasure. People please God first of all through worship—through singing, praising, praying, giving, and honoring God with trust and adoration. Such worship involves surrendering to God as one learns to walk in friendship with God. God also takes pleasure in helping people discover their gifts or abilities and use them for God’s glory.
The third segment treats the second purpose: People are formed for God’s family, or the church. Warren argues that because God is love, God values relationships. Even the nature of the Trinity reveals this relational quality in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those who accept the Son, Jesus Christ, become adopted members of the family of God. Learning to be a loving member of this community on earth is central to life and a vital preparation for eternity with God in the community of heaven.
The fourth segment presents the third purpose: People are created to become like Christ. Warren explains that people are made in the image or likeness of God, meaning that they are spiritual beings designed to live for eternity; furthermore, they are intellectual, relational, and have a moral conscience. Because people are also fallen or sinful, people need the redemptive work of Christ to change their warped image into a holy one that reflects God’s righteous character. In this process people do not become gods but do become adopted children of God who are patterned after the perfectly obedient Son of God, Jesus Christ. The focus here is on developing character that is godly. In this process of becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ, the individual is to be transformed by the truth of Scripture, the trials of life, and the challenges of overcoming temptations. Such spiritual growth requires obedience and time.
The next seven-day segment discusses the fourth purpose: People are shaped for serving God. Warren says people are made to be more than consumers. Each person is created to serve God and such service is not optional. The happiness and joy of each person is realized in fulfilling God’s purpose. This service is different for each person because how people are to serve God is determined by each one’s SHAPE, an acronym for spiritual gifts, heart or godly desires, abilities, personality, and
(This entire section contains 1408 words.)
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ersonality, andexperience. Serving God involves serving people, focusing on other people’s needs, and moving beyond one’s own selfish ambitions. Through redemptive work in Jesus Christ, God especially uses the hurts and disappointments of life to help individuals grow and mature. Service to God must be accomplished through God’s purposes and strength.
The sixth and final segment evaluates the fifth purpose: People are made for a mission. According to Warren, God is at work in the world and calls people to join in this work. Christians are called to share what God is doing in their lives so that others can come to know and understand God’s purposes for each person’s life. The great commission of Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 is the commission of each disciple of Jesus Christ to give witness to God’s work in believers. The mission is to move beyond thinking about the self to reach a world that does not yet know God or God’s ways.
The five purposes discussed in this book are rooted in the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) and the great commission of Jesus Christ. These can be summarized in five phrases from Jesus’ teachings: “Love God with all your heart,” “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Go and make disciples,” “baptize them into [God’s family],” and “teach them to do all things” through discipleship. Warren argues that when people keep these five purposes in balance, they can experience a meaningful and fruitful life, one that honors God by accepting and promoting God’s holy purposes.
Christian Themes
Warren deals with the major biblical themes of sin, salvation, sanctification, and the choice people make for eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ or for eternal separation by rejecting Christ. He translates these Christian doctrines into language accessible to those not acquainted with church jargon and makes them enlightening to those already familiar with such terminology. Warren’s stance against sin, New Age beliefs, and self-centered, self-help philosophies is strong.
The focus of this book is on positive steps people can take to discover God’s design for their life. This work is strongly informed by a biblically rooted conviction that the providence of God determines the course of life, yet this volume also affirms the opportunity for each person to respond to God and be saved. Warren is also careful to note that people are saved to serve, to make a positive contribution to the life of the church and the world.
The Purpose Driven Life emphasizes that God wastes nothing in human experience. It states that life is not an accident. Each event and experience has the potential for helping people grow closer to God and learn to trust God more. In this process, God is far more concerned about character than comfort. By God’s grace, one’s greatest ministry comes from one’s deepest hurts and greatest weaknesses. Only when God is one’s strength, can God work best for God’s glory. This book also emphasizes the centrality of the Bible in helping one discover the purpose and meaning of life. Scriptures provide a foundation for understanding God’s purpose for life and protect believers from being swept along by the relativism of the postmodern era.
In keeping with traditional Christian teaching, Warren declares that God is the one who gives life meaning. Only by keeping God at the center of one’s life can one realize the purpose and meaning of life. As Warren concludes, a purpose driven life is a God-directed life.
Sources for Further Study
- Abanes, Richard. Rick Warren and the Purpose That Drives Him: An Insider Looks at the Phenomenal Bestseller. Eugene, Oreg.: Harvest House, 2005. An informed review of the life and work of Warren. Abanes offers answers to criticisms of Warren’s books and ministry.
- Byasse, Jason. “Re-Purposed: What Is a Church For?” Christian Century (March 9, 2004): 28-29, 31-32. A thoughtful evaluation of The Purpose Driven Life. Byasse finds it a biblically and theologically responsible rethinking of church practice but questions its use for liturgical context.
- Gunther, Marc, and Christopher Tkaczyk. “Will Success Spoil Rick Warren?” Fortune 15, no. 9 (October 31, 2005): 108-110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120. This secular management article evaluates the nature and legacy of Warren’s leadership in writing and ministry. Concludes that Warren is the major religious entrepreneur of his generation.
- Stafford, Tim. Review of The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Christianity Today (March, 2004): 29. Evaluates Warren’s book as redefining the nature of a balanced Christian life in an ordinary church, whether Pentecostal, Episcopal, or Baptist.
- Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message and Mission. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1995. Warren describes how to develop healthy Christians and biblical church leadership, the measure for obedience to the purpose of God for a given church.
