A popular teaching was released some years ago in a devotional manual entitled "The Purpose Driven Life."
The intent of the book was good, in that the author wanted to assist individual believers in the Body of Christ to grow and serve rather than remain passive and immature.
Yet like many teachings today, and like many churches right now, Jesus was not the central focus, but ourselves, our efforts, our need to improve.
The Christian Life is not some special project, not a task or a goal, but the Person of Jesus Christ Himself:
"King James
VersionJesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
Jesus did not come to provide Himself as an example to follow, but Life itself, that we would receive and rejoice in Him:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
and then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly." (John 10: 10)
Jesus did come to help bad people be good, but to help dead people live, to allow man, dead in his trespasses because of Adam, to receive the Life of God within himself through Jesus' death and the release of the Holy Spirit.
The more that believers focus on fads, crowds, and fanciful ideas, to that extent they will find frustration and frenzy, instead of the rest and the peace which Jesus promises, which Jesus!
In fact, we can say that Jesus offers more than the power to live a "purpose driven life":
Jesus is the Purpose (The Truth), the Drive (The Way), and the Life!
Grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, and let Him bless you and use in mighty ways beyond what you can ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20)