God’s Goal: Your Character, Not Your Comfort- Daily Hope with Rick Warren - May 10, 2021
2021May 10
God’s Goal: Your Character, Not Your Comfort By Rick Warren
“Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”Ephesians 4:22-24 (The Message)
Many religions and philosophies promote the old lie that humans are divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: You will never become God or even a god.
That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, they would “be as gods” (Genesis 3:5 KJV).
This desire to be a god shows up every time you try to control your circumstances, your future, and the people around you. But you’re a creature; you will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly. He wants you to develop his values, attitudes, and character.
You are meant to “take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you” (Ephesians 4:22-24 The Message).
God’s ultimate goal for your life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow spiritually and become like Christ.
Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.
When you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You may wonder, “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 you to grow.
Many Christians misinterpret Jesus’ promise of an abundant life (John 10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer.
They expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on Earth.
This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant. If you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, you will either become severely disillusioned or live in denial of reality.
Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on Earth when he’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? Spend your time on Earth preparing for heaven by building your Christlike character.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Build a Firm Foundation of Prayer in the Next Generation!
“Perhaps the most important role you can play in the life of a child is teaching them to trust God through prayer. It’s the key to living with hope.” —Pastor Rick
That’s why it’s so important to strengthen the hope of kids by introducing them to Jesus’ model for prayer at an early age. And we’re excited to help you do that with Pastor Rick’s children’s book, The Lord’s Prayer: Words of Hope and Happiness.
Filled with thoughtful insights from Pastor Rick as well as stunning illustrations from award-winning artist, Richard Jesse Watson, this book brings the poetic scripture from the King James Version alive for readers young and old. It’s sure to become a meaningful bedtime ritual, a treasured memory, and by God’s grace, a legacy that bears good fruit for generations to come.
This book is a perfect way to share the beauty and richness of The Lord’s Prayer with the children the Lord has placed in your life. And it’s our thanks for your gift below to help Daily Hope take the Good News to more people everywhere. So please request a copy for yourself or a friend today, and thanks for your generosity!
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