*RICK WARREN'S (BEST selling Author, Inspirational Speaker and Pastor) Interview
Pls Read this:
This is an absolutely incredible short interview with *Rick Warren,*
*'Purpose Driven Life'* author and
Pastor of Saddleback Church in California.*
--In the interview by *Paul Bradshaw* with *Rick Warren,*
Rick said:
*--People ask me, What is the purpose of life?*
*--And I respond:*
In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
--One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the *end of my body*-- but not the *end of me.*
--I may live *60 to 100 years on earth*, but I am going to spend *trillions of years in eternity.*
This is the warm-up act --the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..
--We were made by *God and for God*, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to *make sense.*
--Life is a series of problems:
*Either you are in one now,* OR *you're just coming out of one,* OR *you're getting ready to go into another one.*
--The reason for this is that *God is more interested* in *your character* than *your comfort;* God is more interested in making *your life holy* than He is in making *your life happy.*
--We can be *reasonably happy* here on earth, but that's not *the goal of life.* The goal is to grow in *character, in Christ likeness.*
--No matter how *good* things are in your life, there is always something *bad* that *needs to be worked on.*
--And no matter how *bad* things are in your life, there is always something *good* you can *thank God* for.
--You can focus on *your purposes*, or you can focus on *your problems:*
--If you focus on your problems, you're going into *self-centeredness*, which is my problem, my issues, my pain. *But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.*
--Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder.
For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
--It also brought a lot of *notoriety* that I had never had to deal with before.
I don't think God gives you *money* or *notoriety* for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
--So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence.
He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, *II Corinthians 9* and *Psalm 72.*
--First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.
--Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
--Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call *The Peace Plan* to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
--Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
--We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
--Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
--When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, *I want to know You more and love You better.*
God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill *a to-do list.* He's more interested in *what I am* than *what I do.*
--That's why we're called *human beings*, not *human doings.*
--Happy moments, *PRAISE GOD.*
--Difficult moments, *SEEK GOD.*
--Quiet moments, *WORSHIP GOD.*
--Painful moments, *TRUST GOD.*
--Every moment, *THANK GOD.*
*--If you do not pass it on, nothing will happen.*
But it will just be nice to pass it on to friends...
*Just like I have done now.*
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