A Temporary Assignment

  Today I just read Chapter 6 of "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. It's an extremely good Christian book and I really recommend it! Anyway, the main theme of Chapter 6 is "Life is a temporary assignment." Here are some things I got out of reading:

- Life is a temporary assignment.

- To make the best of life, you mustn't forget 2 truths:
  1. Compared with eternity, life is extremely brief.
  2. Earth is only a temporary residence

- Earth is not your permanent home or final destination. You're like a foreigner passing through.

- Christians should always remind themselves that our citizenship is in heaven.

- Your identity is in eternity and your real home is in heaven. When you grasp the truth, you won't worry about "having it all" on earth.

- Christians are supposed to be like God's ambassadors to earth. Sadly, many Christians have betrayed Christ and His kingdom. They have foolishly concluded that because they live on earth, it is their real home. IT IS NOT!

- God warns us that we shouldn't become too attached to worldly things.

 - The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why as followers of Jesus, we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world. In order to keep us from being too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life -- longing that will never  be fulfilled on this side of eternity.

- Realizing that life on earth is just a temporary assignment should radically alter your values. Eternal ones, not temporal ones should become the deciding factors for your decisions.

- It's a fatal mistake to assume that God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God doesn't guarantee success in a career or ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns. Of course, this doesn't mean that getting material possessions is bad. Just don't get too caught up with acquiring temporary things. Matthew 6:19-20 says,  " “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."


- In God's eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are no those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.

- After death, you won't leave home, you'll go home.

Question to consider: How should that fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I'm living right now?