In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear of a bad steward who had misused his position for his own purposes, rather than the purposes of his employer. We are reminded that we, too, are stewards. All that we have, including our material goods, our own bodies, and our very lives are not truly ours. They belong to God, and we are to use them to further His will and plans. This is the purpose of our lives.
One of the most successful religious books of all time is The Purpose Driven Life, by Pastor Rick Warren, the founder of Saddleback Church. In the book, Warren encourages us to discover the purpose that God has designated for our lives. It is in fulfilling His will and plan in our lives that we will find our true sense of purpose and meaning. He also helps us to understand what that purpose is and how we can put it into practice in our lives.
The Purpose Driven Life and Christian stewardship are about the same thing. It is about how we use what God has given to us in the most productive and fulfilling ways. Fulfilling God’s purpose for us is the path to genuine satisfaction and happiness. Seeking to find our purpose apart from God’s purpose for us is the path to terrible sadness and frustration.
—Fr. Mike Comer
