Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life is an outstanding book that expresses the best principles that everyone should have. Sometimes we can be so focused on here and now and forget what God has in store for us. We forget that we are here to serve and praise him. Therefore, we must live and act for God’s glory.
Let the following quotes (by Rick Warren) inspire you to stay focused on what really matters:
“The purpose of life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.”
“…life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not your using him for your own purpose.”
“The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true of discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.”
“God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives through the Bible. It is our owner’s manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future.”
“You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
“The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.”
“We are products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”
“Listen: Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment. Your past is past! Nothing will change it. You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness. For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.”
“Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.
“Without a purpose, life is a motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty, and pointless.”
“The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose.”
“Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t. You simply ask, “Does this activity help me fulfill one of God’s purposes for my life?”
“Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources. You will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures, and your mood at the moment.”
“It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God’s will. If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more than God intended for you to do.”
“Purpose-driven life leads to a simpler lifestyle and a saner schedule.”
“If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never confuse activity with productivity. You can be busy without a purpose, but what’s the point?”
“It is usually meaningless work, not overwork that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy.”
“You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.”
“God won’t ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? What did you do with what I gave you? What did you do with your life – your gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made for you?”
“When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently. You will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance… The closer you live to God the smaller everything else appears.”