Pastor Rick Warren begins Chapter 5 (“Seeing Life from God’s View”) of The Purpose Driven Life with this quote from French-born American writer and diarist Anais Nin (1903-1977): “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Rick adds that how we picture life is our life metaphor, a description of how life works and what we expect from it. He explains:
“Your unspoken life metaphor influences your life more than you realize. It determines your expectations, your values, your relationships, your goals, and your priorities.”
Certainly God’s view of life has been the foundation for our ministry in the workplace. If our ministry downsizing or career loss has impacted that metaphor, Pastor Warren offers several metaphors to get us back on track (the author’s words are in bold type):
1. Life on earth is a Test. Tests develop and reveal our character. One of the most important tests is how we act when we can’t feel God’s presence in our lives. If we understand that all of our life is a test, everything, even the smallest incident, is significant. Every second matters.
2. Life on earth is a Trust. We are stewards of the time, energy, intelligence, relationships, and resources that God gives us. They are all a trust God has placed in our hands. Because God is the owner, we are to take care of everything God gives us to the best of our ability.