A life driven driven by God’s will and our freedom
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A life driven driven by God’s will and our freedom

While there may be valid objections to thesis of the runaway bestselling Christian book by Rick Warren titled “The Purpose-Drive Life”, I’m not sure that the alternative advanced by Kirk B. Jones is any better.

Jones says that the central principle of Warren’s book is off base.

An American Baptist with several church pastorates on his resume, Jones argues that traditional theology and theologians such as Warren set up God as omnipotent parent, in charge of making all our decisions.

“On the one hand, that lets us off the hook,” he says. “It kind of comforts us.”

But it also makes people quasi-infantilized dependents relying on a deity whose true desire, Jones believes, is “to see us … explore all kinds of wonderful possibilities.”

The God-is-my-daddy approach can paralyze believers at times of pivotal life choices, Jones says. He speaks from personal experience.

Okay, I can agree with some of that. From a Catholic point of view, I have always contended that many believers often take a too simplistic view when it comes to vocation, which at it’s most basic level means “what God wants me to do.” Many people I’ve encountered get paralyzed because they’re waiting for a word from on high. They’ve become convinced that God will speak to them in such a way as to remove all doubt as to the path they should take in life. That’s extremely unlikely.

Pray as if it’s up to God, act on it as if it’s up to you

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