Description

The Purpose Driven Life (2002) is a devotional book written by Christian author Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. The book has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for advice books for one of the longest periods in history, while also becoming arguably one of the best-selling non-fiction books of all time, topping the Wall Street Journal best seller charts as well as Publishers Weekly charts with over 20 million copies sold worldwide.The book offers readers a 40-day personal spiritual journey, and presents what Warren says are God’s five purposes for human life on Earth.Since September 2002, over 30,000 congregations, corporations, and sports teams across the United States have participated in a “40 Days of Purpose” emphasis. A May 2005 survey of American pastors and ministers conducted by George Barna asked Christian leaders to identify what books were the most influential on their lives and ministries. The Purpose Driven Life was the most frequent response. The Purpose Driven Church, Warren’s previous book, was the second most frequent response.[1] Billy Graham described the book as one that would “guide you to greatness- through living the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of Jesus.” The book has been widely cited as being in the tradition of Oswald Chambers’ devotional guide decades earlier, and is described as “a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st Century, using over 1200 Biblical verses and quotes to challenge the conventional definitions of Christian Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Christian Ministry and Evangelism.The book is intended to be read as a daily inspiration, with each of the forty short chapters read on consecutive days. Each chapter contains a personal application section at the end with a “point to ponder,” a verse to remember, and a question to consider over the course of that day. Rick Warren described his book as an “anti-self-help book.” The first sentence of the book reads, “It’s not about you,”[2] and the remainder of the chapter goes on to explain how the quest for personal fulfillment, satisfaction, and meaning can only be found in understanding and doing what God placed you on Earth to do.[3] The book’s 40 chapters are divided into six major sections, with the following titles:[4]* What on Earth Am I Here For?* Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God’s Pleasure (Worship)* Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God’s Family (Fellowship)* Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Discipleship)* Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (Ministry)* Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission (Mission)Each of these is meant to build on the previous – that is, Warren wants the reader to see that each purpose is sequential and foundational for the next step.