The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. "My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E.

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record.

Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent. While your offender has probably forgotten the offense and gone on with life, you continue to stew in your pain, perpetuating the past. Listen: those who hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment. Your past is past! Nothing will change it. You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness. For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.

Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. You expect Him to keep His promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.

Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you. Don’t waste your pain; use it to help others.

Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.

God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.

If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You were designed to worship God and if you fail to worship Him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to. You are free to choose, what you surrender to but you are not free from the consequence of that choice.

You weren't put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.

You cannot fulfil God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans.

Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time? One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what enables us to grow. Remember, earth is not heaven!

If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life, because God uses weak people.

The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.

If you have felt hopeless, hold on! Wonderful changes are going to happen in your life as you begin to live it on purpose.

A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.

It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.

We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better.

Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.

Life is a gift... Life is a test... Life is temporary assignment....

Because God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than the place where you are right now.

Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others. Humble people are so focused on serving others, they don't think of themselves.

Your value is not determined by your valuables, and God says the most valuable things in life are not things!

If you are a member of a small group or class, I urge you to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).

Frankness is not a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. It is not rudeness.

You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself. Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You don’t edge others out, you don’t demand your rights, and you aren’t self-serving when you’re surrendered.