Consider the Lily III

Love is patient and kind; does not envy or boast; is not proud, self-seeking, rude, or easily angered; keeps no record of wrongs; doesn’t revel in evil, but rejoices with truth; always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.


So, where does a single Christian woman go for fun and fellowship after an uncomfortable experience in a women's Bible Study group? She finds a 40 Days of Purpose Driven Life study group to participate in, of course!

In 2002 I was invited to participate in a small group hosted by a church in my community...a 40 Days of Purpose Driven Life small group. I had participated in small groups at church in the past and did not hesitate to sign-up for the six weekly meetings that accompany reading Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life.

The group consisted of 10 to 12 people, married and single, who met weekly in each other’s homes to discuss the contents of the book. Along with the others, I committed to read a chapter a day and attend weekly meetings for the next six weeks. Rising early on Day One, I picked up the book and began to read.

"The average life span is 25,550 days; that's how long you will live if you are typical. Don’t you think it would be a wise use of time to set aside 40 of those days to figure out what God wants you to do with the rest of them?

The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for His purposes He took 40 days. For example: 40 days of rain transformed Noah’s life; 40 days on Mount Sinai transformed Moses’ life; 40 days in the Promised Land changed Joshua and Caleb’s lives; Goliath’s 40-day challenge transformed a shepherd boy named David; 40 days in the wilderness empowered Jesus; 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection transformed the disciples’ lives; and the next 40 days will transform your life, too!”

Prior to participating in the 40 Days of Purpose Driven Life study group, my attempts at socializing as a divorcee' in religious settings were unsuccessful and somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless, I wanted to meet new people, craved healthy relationships, and hungered for Truth. So, I made another attempt to 'connect' with my brothers and sisters in Christ by participating in this six-week study group. And indeed, the 40 days I spent with them transformed my life! For in that 40 days I learned I was planned for God's pleasure, formed for His family, created to be like Christ, shaped for serving others, and made for a mission.

After reading The Purpose Driven Life, I realized that my time on Earth is temporary...truly a vapor. I was not created to live for the purpose of pleasing myself or others; nor was I created for the purpose of being a daughter, sister, wife, mother, or friend. I was planned, formed, created, shaped, and made to please God...through worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism.

During our last meeting together, the group discussed how the individual believer and Body of Christ are made for the mission of evangelism. Day 40, "Living with Purpose", focused on creating and writing a Life's Purpose Statement. We were encouraged by the Leader of the group to include what worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism are in the daily life of a believer. After several rough drafts I finished my Purpose Statement:

I will celebrate God's presence in my life through Worship; Love and Share Christ through service to my family, friends, church, and community; Teach others to do the same.

Oh, one more thing. During my 40 day experience I discovered I was an 'old' Christian...not a mature Christian. Even though I’d followed Christ my entire adult life, an invisible baby bottle still hung from my lips. Like many children of God, the ‘milk’ of His word had sufficed through the years. However, the time had come for me to stop acting like the baby of the Family, throw away that disgusting bottle, ingest the 'meat' of God's word, and grow up.

So...I did.

To be continued...