christianity

I try to keep abreast of things going on in the world. Sometimes things come along that are total fads: here one day, then gone and forgotten the next. It's sad to say, but as a Christian I have to admit that there are also fads in the contemporary American part of the Church. THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE is one of these.

I had never heard of THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE until a couple of local churches started doing the 40-Days of Purpose campaign. About the same time, a friend of mine mentioned this book as the next "big fad in the Church", and asked me if I got a chance, to read it. He believed I would agree with him and I do.

As a whole, there isn't really anything wrong with the book. Suspicious as his intentions might be, I'll give Rick Warren the credit and believe he primarily wrote this book to help Christians in their walk with Jesus. I believe that this book could be useful to a new Christian or someone who is possibly thinking about converting to Christianity. I also don't wish to discredit all those who have been helped in their life because of this book. The book is written in a very simply style that a third or fourth-grader shouldn't have a problem reading it. Warren supports much of what he says with Scripture and the book is filled with Biblical references.

However, the book is filled with severals flaws.

1. Warren says he purposely uses many different translations and paraphrases of the Bible to illustrate how relevant Scripture is to our day to day lives. However, Warren tends to rely on paraphrases more than actual translations of the Bible. This is a dangerous thing. Yes, the Bible was written in such a way that the "common man" could understand it's meaning. That's why paraphrases are so dangerous; they can change the entire meaning of a scriptural passage.

2. There is hardly any reference to the Holy Spirit. I am not a member of a charismatic church, but in many dominations across the country discussion of the Holy Spirit is totally ignored. Like it or not, the Holy Spirit is the seal that differentiates Christians from non-Christians. It is an essential part of the Trinity and to deny it, by ignoring it is very dangerous, almost blasphemous.

3. Thought Warren uses a lot of Biblical references, there are several times that he says "The Bible says" without actually quoting any passages from the Bible. I found this to be puzzling in a book that contains so much sciptural support.

4. Warren tends to overgenralize things. He uses words such as "all", "every", "everyone", etc. quite often. This was one of the more disturbing elements of the book to me. When I first started reading the book, I had considered purchasing it and giving it to my mother for a gift. However, about halfway through the text, I began to seriously disagree with some of what Warren was writing. The impression that the text leaves one with is that if you don't do things the way the book tells you to, then you're not a good Christian and there is probably something wrong with you. Many of the books suggestions aren't Biblical, just suggestions that Warren feels may help people out. But the impressions those suggestions leaves is not necessarily a positive one. Therefore, I am not giving this book to my mother.

5. The other major problem I had with the book is that it is largely a piece of advertising. Throughout the chapters, Warren discusses a point and says something like, "if you want more help with that topic, see my other book" or "see the resources of mine listed at the back" which you can purchase. Just about every other chapter contained at least one plug for one of Warren's resources which can be purchased. I have nothing against writers plugging there wares. I have nothing against Christian writers writing for money. I do have a problem with people using a tool that is supposed to be for evangelism but also use it as a way to advertise so that they can sell more products and make more money. Though this may not be the original intent of the other, his shameless self-promotion throughout the book, made it clear that Rick Warren was also out to make a buck and didn't care how he made it.

As I mentioned earlier, the book as a whole isn't all that bad. However, it does have some major flaws. Nevertheless, I won't rate this book lower than a three because I know that despite the flaws, there is a lot of material in the book that can be helpful to a lot of people.

Rick Warrren's new book is an excellent read for the person who desperately seeks direction and purpose for life. At the outset, Warren challenges us to believe that we were created for a far greater purpose than just the pursuit of happiness.

The text is designed to be a 40-day ( a significant number in the Bible) devotion covering a particular topic and with a relevant Bible verse. Each chapter is around 10 pages and covers five major purposes: 1) You were planned for God's pleasure, 2) You were formed for God's family, 3) You were created to become like Christ, 4) You were shaped for serving God, and 5) You were made for a mission.

Warren's purpose is to move the reader from a realization of being loved by God to challenging the reader to express gratitude by loving God and serving others in Jesus' name.

Some of the more compelling topics covered were: developing a friendship with God (yes indeed, God wants to be your Friend!), finding a church and fellowship to belong to, dealing successfully with temptation, understanding how God shaped you, thinking like a servant, balancing your life, and living to please God and not man.

"Purpose Driven Life" is helpful in that it validates what the Bible already said thousands of years ago. I am now in the process of writing what I believe to be God's purpose in my life. From now on, Lord willing, I will read this book starting January 1 of every year while expecting to learn new insights after each read.

All in all, the book is highly recommended and is an excellent supplement to the Bible. Unbelievers will also be challenged to think deeply and critically about why they were created and what their purpose in life is!

I usually run screaming from the room when self-help, religious, or "inspirational" reads are recommended by a friend. Usually I'm right. But in this case, and a few others, I was wrong. The Purpose Driven Life may not be the best book ever written, but it is full of some great ideas and elements that get the wheels turning. Certainly it's worth the price of admission. While it's not one of those fiction books that are inspirational, books like "The Five People you Meet in Heaven" or "The Bark of the Dogwood," it is nevertheless a good read and I have to also recommend it. Just don't run screaming from the room on me.