What Drives You? Graeme Sterne 2005

Everyone’s life is driven by something Bob Dylan wrote: “Everybody’s got to serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you still have to serve someone.”

Drive means to guide, control, direct What is the driving force in your life? Problem (s) e.g. Pressure e.g. Painful memory e.g. Haunting fear e.g. Unconscious belief e.g.

Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life. Nothing can compensate for not knowing them

Driven by Guilt? Proverbs 28:1, Psalm 32:3,4,5 It takes a lot of energy to spend your life running from regrets or hiding your shame e.g. John T. Guilty people are manipulated by memories. They allow their past to control their future They sabotage their own success e.g. I don’t deserve it … prostitute at Jesus’ feet Restlessness, dissatisfaction Isaiah 57:20,21 “Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal. Can you help me? Help me if you can.” (Ozzy Osbourne)

Driven by Guilt? We are products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners of it God’s purpose is not limited to our past e.g. Jacob, Moses, Peter, Rahab, Paul What a transformation for those whose sins are forgiven Psalm 32:1,2 & 5

Driven by resentment or anger? Resentment means holding on to hurts. Instead of releasing pain through forgiveness we rehearse the memories over and over. Resentment always hurts us more than the person we resent Those who hurt us in the past cannot continue to hurt us unless we let them Matthew 6:14,15 Clam up? Blow up? Both (passive–aggressive)?

Driven by fear? From a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations, growing up in a high control home Fear driven people often miss great opportunities because they try to maintain the status quo Fear is a self- imposed prison Proverbs 29:25

Driven by materialism? The desire to acquire Matthew 6:33 Never have enough Proverbs 25:16 Possessions don’t love us, they don’t increase our capacity to love others Possessions do not change so they constantly need updating Possessions only provide temporary happiness

Myths about possessions They will make life better They will make me more secure They will make me happier They will make me more important How much is enough? Real security is found in what cannot be taken from you They do not love me or help me to love Net worth is not the same as self worth

Driven by the need for approval? Do we allow the expectations of others to control our lives e.g. parents, children, teachers, friends You will get lost in whoever you follow e.g. the crowd

There are many forces that can drive your life but outside of Christ all lead to the same dead end: unused potential unnecessary stress an unfulfilled life “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” Luke 9:25

Without purpose life is: motion without meaning activity without direction events without reason

Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life. Nothing can compensate for not knowing them

Lord, what do you want me to do?