It All Starts with God (Day 1, Purpose Driven Life)

Started the first day of my 40-day Purpose-Driven Life journey. Appropriately, the first chapter is titled "It All Starts with God". I read the chapter slowly and thoughtfully.

Hmm... nothing really new as I've heard this chapter before on my PDL audio CDs and have covered this in both the Youth and Young Adults' cell group.


But what's that again?

"Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life." - Romans 8:6 The Message.


Open and spacious. I've always desire wide open spaces. Maybe it's because I live in a crowded Island city of 4 million; or it's because I've always been sensitive to people - their emotions, remarks and seeming intentions - that I've always sought an "Alone" place. In my day-dreams, my "Alone" place would be on a gentle hillock with a babbling river at its foot. Towering over me would be a number of tall, luxuriant trees and the soft feel of a carpet of grass on my back as I lay gazing at the distant mountains and lakes. Awe-inspiring. Around me would the call of birds, buzz of insects and the rustling of the leaves as a gentle breeze kisses the brow of my head. And next to me would be a good book and a cup of Starbucks coffee. Ah.. the stuff of dreams.

But I can live the open, spacious and free life if I'm attentive to God? In the here and now? That appears to be what living the "God-life" promises. This is counter-intuitive - to shift the focus from self which leads to a dead-end to focusing on God. And yet, that is the paradox of Kingdom living - the more you grasp for your own, the less you have, while the letting go of self and surrendering to God leads to abundant life. A life that is open, spacious and free.

I choose the life that leads to freedom and wide open spaces.


Ollie
May 2007