The following analysis attempts to model maturity in critical thinking. Immaturity approaches books with an all-or-nothing attitude. For example, “If I have any fundamental disagreements with a book, it’s a bad, worthless, dangerous, or otherwise undesirable book.” Or, “If the author is liberal, nothing he says can be worth my time.” Maturity approaches books with a “find the biblical; recognize and discard the unbiblical” attitude. Maturity recognizes that just because a person is liberal does mean everything they say is worthless. Maturity also weighs the significance of the good as versus the bad. The material in some books is so bad or the bad material is so pervasive as to render any effort to extract what is good a waste of time or worse, spiritually detrimental. In addition, I also attempt to model charity. Love, in book reviewing, assumes the best about the author’s intention unless the data cannot be interpreted in a positive light.

My analysis of each chapter is broken into three sections: Main point & key quotes, Affirmation, and Critique. The first section highlights chapter’s main points and the key quotes (usually taken from the offset/inset textboxes); hence its title. The second section identifies material in the chapter which resonates with me. The reader may assume that I affirm the main thrust of every chapter, unless I state otherwise. The second section identifies material in the chapter with which I disagree or believe to be biblically incorrect. I usually indicate my reasons for disagreement as well as the Scriptures grounds for my understanding.

With the exception of the material quoted in the Main Points & Key Quotes sections, I have consistently tried to place all quoted material in blue to help distinguish Warren’s material from my comments.

Synopsis

The Purpose-Driven Life answers the question “What on earth am I here for?” The answer is we are here for five purposes: (1) to bring God pleasure, (2) to belong to God’s family, (3) to become like Christ, (4) to serve God, and (5) to fulfill our God-given mission.

Summary Affirmation & Critique

In my opinion, any wholesale dismissal or condemnation of The Purpose-Driven Life reflects an immaturity in critical thinking skills or an unwillingness to consider its case. I have definite disagreements with Warren on various points throughout the book. However, given that the book primarily targets believers and not non-believers, its good far outweighs any bad. I have repeatedly benefited from reading and rereading Warren’s material.

It’s too bad that, while Warren recognizes that loving God is the “greatest objective of your life. Nothing else comes close in importance” (p. 70), he fails provide a coherent explanation of how loving God, bringing God pleasure, and worship relate to one another as our primary purpose. At times He identifies loving God as our first purpose (p. 282, 305), at other times he says it is bringing pleasure to God (p. 63), and still others its worship (p. 64, 310). Are these interrelated ideas? Yes! Are they identical actions? No! Rather than cycling through or alternating between these ideas, Warren would have helped us by identifying means and ends, methods and goals. Loving God is the Chief Command. Precisely how does it relate to worship and pleasing God? God is pleased when we love others. Is loving others an act of love to God? I think the book would be stronger and the church better if he had provided answers to these and other related questions and more explicitly oriented our primary purpose for existence around the most important command God has given us.

The Translation Issue

Warren makes liberal use of The Message, the New Living Translation (first edition), the Living Bible, and the Good News Bible, all of which are more or less highly interpretive translations. For a helpful chart of where these versions fall relative to more conservative translations, click here.

In my first review of the first 11 chapters of The Purpose-Driven Life, I left the jury out on whether Warren just picked and choose versions to suit his view. The jury is now in and its verdict is “yes and no.” In most instances, Warren seemed to be genuinely motivated to allow the reader to hear the truth through different words. In other cases, his choice of a translation appears to be motivated (unconsciously, I assume) by a desire to support his point.

My suggestion, when reading the book, is to view the Scripture translations Warren cites as interpretations of Scripture. Evaluate each interpretation just like you would evaluate a sermon or commentary. If it is on track, good. If not, ignore it or look it up in a reliable modern version and correct it.

What on Earth Am I Here for?

Day 1 — It All Starts with God

Main Points & Key Quotes

It’s not about you.

Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.

You were made by God and for God—and until you understand that, life will never make sense.

Affirmation

17, Warren’s opening statement still resonates with me even after having read it multiple times: “It’s not about you.” The reason? It’s truth, and that’s the way truth is: it never loses its resonance.

This affirmation is hardly new. It’s as old as Wesley who said “God made us to be happy in Him.” It’s as old as the Westminster Catechism which affirms that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” It is as old as David who said, “It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” It’s as old as Moses who said, “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” What is “it?” Its referent is Life. Life, and more particularly, my life is not about me. It is about God.

Our origin, identity, meaning, purpose, destiny—they all originate and ultimate in God. I can’t help but think that such an approach would revolutionize high school and college career counseling, to say nothing of parental guidance regarding career choices. I remember my friends’ frustrated searches to find what they wanted to do in life. Warren is right on the money when he says that is the wrong approach to life.

20-21, Warren’s three concluding insights from chapter one bear repeating. (1) Identity and purpose are found only through relationship with Jesus Christ. (2) God planned the purpose of your life in eternity. (3) Your life’s purpose fits into the grand cosmic plan of God. Now that is something worth living for; someone worth dying for!

Critique

One might get the idea from reading this chapter that determining your life career has nothing to do with you. That is, of course, not true, and I don’t believe Warren intends us to infer that. Our problem is that we start with us and then tell God what we’ll do. God wants us to start with Him—His Kingdom, His Will—and then ask how we can use the gifts and abilities He has given us to participate in His plan.

Day 2 — You Are Not an Accident

Main Points & Key Quotes

You are not an accident.

Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God.

Affirmation

23, “While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children.” Very helpful distinction! For a discussion of Deut. 23:2 "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD," see my blog post.

24, Clearly Warren believes in special creation. He doesn’t affirm that God created as He said He did, but everything Warren says here is good.

25, Here Warren specifically disavows atheistic evolution.

Critique

24-25, It would have been nice if Warren would have affirmed the Genesis account of creation. However, he says nothing here to indicate that he would affirm anything else. I don’t know whether he has made public statements about this, but it seems clear that in this book he is staking his position on purposeful, divine creation.

Day 3 — What Drives Your Life?

Main Points & Key Quotes

Everyone’s life is driven by something.

Many people are driven by guilt, by resentment and anger, by fear, by materialism, by the need for approval.

Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing them.

The benefits of living a purpose-driven life: it …

Gives meaning to your life.

Simplifies your life.

Focuses your life. — If you want your life to have impact, focus it.

Motivates your life.

Prepares you for eternity. — You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.

Affirmation

Excellent chapter, particularly Warren’s treatment of the wrong things that drive people.

30, “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.” Significant statement. At the same time, having a purpose is not enough. One must live for the purpose for which God designed him; otherwise whatever meaning seems to be granted by living for lesser purposes will evaporate in eternity.

31, “People who don’t know their purpose try to do too much—and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict.” True. It is tempting to have one’s finger in many pies. The problem is none of them turn out well then. When I have stripped my life of the unessentials, I have always become more productive and satisfied.

33, “Purpose always produces passion. Nothing energizes like a clear purpose.” Perhaps this is why most of the Christians I meet have so little passion for the Kingdom of God. They are not living with a clear vision of the purpose for which God has created them.

33, “Given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed.” If that strikes you as morbid pessimism, you haven’t read Ecclesiastes enough. And if Ecclesiastes depresses you, it must be because you don’t understand what Solomon is saying. In a nutshell the message of Ecclesiastes is “Meaning and satisfaction are not found in any of life’s components; they are found only in life’s Creator.”
I just returned from a family picnic and walk in a park. As we walked in a Rotary Club memorial grove trees, I glanced down to see a marker half covered by grass and dirt. It was supposed to be the name of a Rotary club member on display “permanently.” But there is no such thing as permanence under the sun. Only the life and law that comes from above the sun offer the meaning and satisfaction our souls long for.

Critique

None.

Day 4 — Made to Last Forever

Main Points & Key Quotes

Life is not all that there is.

You were made to last forever.

This life is preparation for the next.

When you live in the light of eternity, your values change.

Affirmation

37, “Eternity offers only two [choices]: heaven or hell” I appreciate Warren not capitulating to modern avoidance of using the term “hell.” Hell is real, and you don’t want to go there!

37, Living in the light of eternity – a powerful concept, certainly not coined by Warren, but well worth pondering and implementing into daily living. As he says on p. 40, we should live each day so that if it were the last day of our lives, we would be ready for eternity.

38, “There are eternal consequences to everything to do on earth.” Echoes of Eccl. 11:9!

39, I like Warren’s description of heaven’s activities: “rewarded for our faithfulness on earth and reassigned to do work that we will enjoy doing. We won’t lie around on clouds with halos playing harps!” Amen! If the talent parables teach us anything, it is that responsibility in little here leads to much greater responsibility there.

40, “God has a purpose for your life on earth, but it doesn’t end here.” This serves as a helpful balance to the book’s emphasis on finding & living out our purpose here. Yes, I must serve God in my generation, but my service here is preparation for greater service to come.

Critique

38, Warren quotes 1 Cor. 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” In reference to eternity. The language of this verse is probably true with reference to eternity, but contextually this verse has nothing to do with heaven. Paul is talking about the Gospel! In fact, the next verse tells us that what eye has not seen has been revealed to us!

Day 5 — Seeing Life from God’s View

Main Points & Key Quotes

The way you see you life shapes your life.

Character is both developed and revealed by tests and all of life is a test.

The more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.

Life is a test and a trust.

Affirmation

43, “You are always being tested.” True. Fortunately habituated obedience can reduce the stress of the test.

43, “In my own life I have noticed that God tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how I handle possessions, and tests my love through people.” Insightful. James 1:2-4 teaches the first; Hebrews 10:32-35 teaches the second, and 1 John 3:16-18 teaches the third.

46, Great comments on the significant of money as a means of testing us.

Critique

None.

Day 6 — Life is a Temporary Assignment

Main Points & Key Quotes

Life on earth is a temporary assignment.

Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven.

Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better.

Affirmation

50, “Realizing that life on earth is just a temporary assignment should radically alter your values. Eternal values, not temporal ones, should become the deciding factors for your decisions.” Amen!

Good chapter.

Critique

49, “Compared with other centuries, life has never been easier for much of the Western world. We are constantly entertained, amused, and catered to. With all the fascinating attractions, mermerizing media, and enjoyable experiences available today, it’s easy to forget that the pursuit of happines is not what life is about.”

Contrast that statement with this statement from Wesley:

The Assembly’s Catechism asks, “For what end did God create man?” The answer is, “To glorify and enjoy him for ever.” This is undoubtedly true; but is it quite clear, especially to ordinary men? Do common people understand that expression, “To glorify God?” No; no more than they understand Greek. And it is altogether above the capacity of children; to whom we can scarce ever speak plain enough. Now, is not this the very principle that should be inculcated upon every human creature. — “You are made to be happy in God,” as soon as ever reason dawns.” Should not every parent, as soon as a Child begins to talk, or to run alone, say something, of this kind: “See! what is that which shines so over your head? That we call the sun. See, how bright it is! Feel how it warms you! It makes the grass to spring, and everything to grow. But God made the sun. The sun could not shine, nor warn, nor do any good without him.” In this plain and familiar way a wise parent might many lines in a day, say something of God; particularly insisting, “He made you; and he made you to be happy in him; and nothing else can make you happy.” We cannot press this too soon. (Sermon 114, “The Unity of the Divine Being”)

The essence of what Warren and Wesley are saying is the same; however, the manner of expressing is not unimportant. The pursuit of happiness in God is in fact the purpose for which God made us and is what life is about. The man who pursues his happiness in God will find the attractions, media, and experiences of this life tinny bangles and cheap bobbles whose allure pales in comparison to the rivers of pleasure God offers to those who seek Him.

Day 7 — The Reason for Everything

Main Points & Key Quotes

It’s all for him.

Living for God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives.

When anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God.

We bring glory to God by

Worshiping him

Loving other believers

Becoming like Christ

Serving others with our gifts.

Telling others about him

Jesus will give you everything you need to live for him.

Affirmation

53-54, Interesting discussion of God’s glory and how we glorify God.

55, “When anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God.”

55, “We worship God by enjoying him. C. S. Lewis said, “In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him.” Lewis’s comment fits beautifully with the first commandment. To love God is to delight in Him, i.e., to enjoy Him. When you love God, you worship Him, for as Lewis observes, “all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. … We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. (C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms [New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1958], 94-95.)

Critique

58-59, In my first review of this chapter, I said:

I ran into my first major snag in Warren’s theology in chapter seven. At the end of the chapter he invites sinners to Christ, and that is admirable. But in my estimation he fails to give them proper directions on how to come to Christ. He says that they must believe; but he doesn’t say they must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, or that He died for our sins and rose the third day. Both of those items are core components of the apostolic gospel. Frankly, I am not inclined to think that Warren purposefully left out mention of those two items, but I do find it disturbing that his call to sinners is defective. A defective call may lead to a defective faith, and a defective faith is not a saving faith. When we “believe in Jesus,” we’re not just believing facts about His deity or even His resurrection. We are believing that He is the only way to God, that His sacrifice is the only atonement God will accept, and that He is the only solution to our desperate need for salvation from the wrath of God we justly deserve. (1/1/2006)

I also notice that any mention of repentance is also missing. For example, “Real life begins by committing yourself completely to Jesus Christ. If you are not sure you have done this, all you need to do is receive and believe. The Bible promises, ‘To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.’” The next two paragraphs that explicate “receive” and “believe” fail to note that receiving Christ necessarily involves a renunciation of the old way of life.

Purpose #1 You Were Planned for God’s Pleasure

Since I already reviewed the first 11 chapters previously, I began this review with chapter 12. I am slowly returning and commenting on chapters 1-11.

Day 8 — Planned for God’s Pleasure

Day 9 — What Makes God Smile?

Day 10 — The Heart of Worship

Day 11 — Becoming Best Friends with God

Day 12 — Developing Your Friendship with God

Main Points & Key Quotes

You are as close to God as you choose to be.

The building blocks to deeper friendship with God are …