What Is the Purpose-Driven Life?

The Purpose Driven Life is about discovering what GOD wants for those whom he has created; what GOD'S desire is for those who by faith become his children via adoption into His family; what GOD says is best for our lives if we are ever going to serve Him and others. The Purpose Driven Life is, in essence, a guide for people that points them toward learning GOD'S plan for them. And it is based on countless biblical passages. Warren lists what he considers God's five purposes for us as follows:

1. “You were planned for God’s pleasure” (Revelation 4:11)

2. “You were formed for God’s family” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:4-7)

3. “You were created to become like Christ” (Ephesians 5:2; Philippians 2:5; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6)

4. “You were shaped for serving God” (Romans 12:1-2)

5. “You were made for a mission” (Matthew 28:19)

Obviously, there is a "you" in there somewhere. After all, we are talking about a person's relationship to God. There has to be a God, and there has to be a "you, or else there is no interaction (no relationship). Consequently, Warren does talk in his book about people, their hopes, dreams, feelings, thoughts, experiences, questions, and attempts at negotiating life.

Warren is not advancing some pop-psychology method of finding the "self." Yet for some reason, many of Warren's critics interpret his words as being about the "self." They feel that he is advocating some kind of "you"-ness that is unacceptable in a book supposedly about God.

But these critics have failed to see that anytime a "you" is pulled into the picture by Warren, it is only in conjunction with trying to show people that they are totally, utterly, and completely meant for use in this world by God and for His God's glory. The main thrust of The Purpose Driven Life. It's all about God and our relationship to Him.

Without God, in other words, there is nothing in life for us but a meaningless/purposeless existence (see Ecclesiastes). In a relationship with God, however, through Jesus Christ, we not only receive eternal life, but also purpose/meaning for our lives here on earth, as we serve God and serve others in the name of Christ. In essence, we discover who we really are, according to God's plan for us, and find our true purpose for existing, according to God's desire for our lives.

It is all about understanding who God says we are and learning how we can best serve him so as to make this life count for something. We are told that God has indeed created each of us and has established our lives for His glory, designing good works and service in which we are to walk (see Colossians 3:23-24).