Day 40: Living with Purpose – 40 Days of Purpose-Driven Life

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Devotional
Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission

Point to Ponder: Living with purpose is the only way to really live..

Verse to Remember: “David… served the purpose of God in his own generation.” — Acts 13:36 (NASB)

Question to Consider: When will I take the time to write down my answers to live’s five greatest questions? When will I put my purpose on paper?

[Read More] thoughts on Day 40 — the last day! — of Rick Warren‘s Purpose-Driven Life* including some of my personal mission statements.

Also, stay-tuned for a summary and concluding thoughts on 40 Days of Purpose, before I return to my regular bible study.

I’ve been wondering how Rick was going to close out this book. I was probably expecting some kind of retrospective summary of what we’ve learned, but instead he asks us to look forward by writing our own Life Purpose Statement that:
* Summarizes God’s purposes for your life
* Points the direction of your life
* Defines “success” for you
* Clarifies your roles
* Expresses your shape
The goal is for it to provide answers about the center, character, contribution, communication, and community of my life. By doing this, we can follow in David’s footsteps by “serving God’s purposes in our generation.”

While I don’t put much “on paper”, I’ve certainly typed out a fair number of mission statements — some personal, others POGAs (Purpose, Objectives, Goals, Actions) as part of organizations. Here’s a few that are online:

* The Quest for Radical Happiness (charter for this blog)
* A Trinitarian Manifesto (my original vision statement)
* Renewal of Purpose (personal mission statement)
* Family Vision Statement (marriage covenant)
* Vineyard Elk Grove Mission Statement (our previous church)
* Father to Geeks (from The Nerd Bible)
* Geekz 2 Men (my online accountability group)
* Epitaphs and Eulogies (“He Understood”)
* Radical Centrism.org’s Mission (my other blog/site)
* Radical Centrist Manifesto (my philosophical core)

Whew! To be sure, none of these are quite what Rick was asking for, though the Trinitarian Manifesto probably comes closest. My current focus is “manifesting Christ through Spiritual, Economic, and Political Transformation in California”, but that’s more of a mid-term (~10 years) objective than a Life Purpose. Still, I feel like these are sufficient articulations for now, especially since I’m increasingly part of larger communities that manifest those purposes.

Perhaps the best way to end this series is simply by quoting the founding purpose for our marriage, which I developed with the help of my favorite cousin, Vineet Kantayya. It is sewn onto our wedding quilt:

To Experience, Reflect & Share
God’s Mercy, Forgiveness, and Love
If I do only that with my entire life, I will die content, having fulfilled my primary purpose.

Prayer: God, I thank you that you have called me for a purpose — for many purposes, actually. I thank you for the different ways you’ve revealed that to me in the past, as well as the ways I know you’ll make it clearer to me in the years ahead. Father, help me to live live radically centered on you and your truth, that I may accomplish your purposes for my generation, and bring you glory for generations to come. Thank you for Rick Warren and all those who helped bring the Purpose-Driven Life into my life. May this book and all who read it bear much fruit for your kingdom.

I ask all these things in name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, who fulfilled your purpose for Him (and us) on the cross. May I do likewise. So be it!