Focus on Your Purpose, Not the Problem

[Focus on Your Purpose, Not the Problem]( Current Teaching Series [The Habits of Happiness]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Focus on Your Purpose, Not the Problem]( By Rick Warren — 06/08/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd like to share a Daily Devotional from Pastor Rick with you&body= “If by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith.” Philippians 1:22-25 (GNT) When you stay focused on your purpose instead of your problem you can have joy, even when life seems to be falling apart. Paul is an old man when he is in prison in Rome. He is a long way from home. He is awaiting execution. Everything has been taken from him—his friends, his freedom, his ministry, and even his privacy, with a guard chained to him 24 hours a day. It isn’t exactly a happy time for Paul. But there is one thing they could not take away from Paul: his purpose. Paul makes the choice to stay focused on his purpose, even when he has lost everything else. What is his purpose? Serving God by serving others. Paul says in Philippians 1:22-25, “If by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith” (GNT). I’ll never forget reading Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who was taken to one of the death camps in Nazi Germany. All of his family and friends were gassed and murdered. He writes in his book about one day when he stood in front of the Gestapo, stark naked. They’d taken away the prisoners’ clothes and even Frankl’s wedding ring. As he stood there with nothing at all, he suddenly realized there was one thing the Nazis could not take away from him: his choice in how he would respond. You cannot totally control what other people do to you. You cannot control what other people do around you. But you can control how you respond. Choose to serve others, even when you are hurting. Choose to forgive. Choose to focus on God’s promises and not your circumstances. Those are the kind of choices that lead to greater faith. Then, your faith will produce greater joy. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What do you believe is your purpose in life? - Why does God want you to think about others and serve them, even when you are going through difficult circumstances? - How does your choice to focus on your problem or your purpose reflect what you believe about God? Are you ready to receive God’s forgiveness and start a new life with Christ? God promised that for those who believe in Jesus, there is no condemnation. He sent Jesus to save you from your sin. His death on the cross paid for every wrong you’ve ever done or will do. And by sacrificing himself for your sins and giving you his righteousness, Jesus made it possible for you to have a relationship with God the Father. The good news doesn’t stop there. God also raised Jesus from the dead, proving his power over sin and death. And that makes it possible for you to spend eternity with him in heaven. If you’re ready to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, start by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust him as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [Focus on Your Purpose, Not the Problem]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd like to share a Daily Devotional from Pastor Rick with you&body= [Get The Habits of Happiness Bible Study when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Real, lasting happiness can only be found by following God’s commands. That’s why Pastor Rick created The Habits of Happiness Bible study to show you how happiness that’s grounded in God’s unconditional love runs deeper than any difficult circumstance, feeling, or relationship you experience. This interactive, full color, hardcover book is filled with Scripture, biblical truths, practical lessons, application exercises, and prayers to guide your journey. It’s a comprehensive study tool that will help you develop biblical habits that lead to true and lasting happiness. And thanks to a $50,000 Matching Grant, your gift today will be DOUBLED to reach even more people with the certain hope of Christ! [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series The Habits of Happiness. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Grow Healthy Relationships Message 2: How to Be Happy No Matter What Message 3: The Humble Path to Happiness Message 4: How to Keep Your Heart Happy Message 5: Happiness Can Be Learned Message 6: Five Daily Habits for Happiness Message 7: How to Keep from Stressing Out Message 8: God's Promise to the Generous [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States