Purpose Driven Life

[kayre]

Summary: Each Christian must choose whether to be a “worldly Christian”-- basically self-centered-- or a “world-class Christian”-- committed to letting God use them. How to think like a world-class Christian: 1) Shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking. Apparently this specifically means trying “to figure out where others are in their spiritual journey...” 2) Shift from local thinking to global thinking. “Get a globe or map and pray for nations by name.” Also consider short-term international missions. 3) Shift from ‘here and now’ thinking to eternal thinking. Remember that most of this life won’t matter in eternity. 4) Shift from thinking of excuses to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your commission.

My thoughts: Well, the chapter title is “Becoming a World-Class Christian”.... I’m already gagging. And of course one of the first two quotes is yet another funky paraphrase. “World-class Christians [according to his definition, of course] are the only fully alive people on the planet.” Arrogance.

The stuff about praying for other countries flies in the face of his “follow your godly passions” advice last chapter. Apparently I’m supposed to pray for countries randomly, regardless of whether I actually care or not (or I’m supposed to somehow force myself to care). Why would spending lots of money to go to someplace in Africa or Asia be more godly than driving across the river to Benton Harbor?