Day 21 – Driven or Drawn

I wonder why millions have turned to The Purpose Driven Life to find meaning and "reduce stress, simplify decisions and increase satisfaction." I’m not compelled to pick up a copy because being driven by anything puts me off. I might be drawn to a “greater purpose” but to be driven by one smacks of dropping my brain at the door and falling in line. To be driven seems to be contrary to Christ’s simple directive, “follow me.”

I’d rather be “drawn to” than “driven by”. Christ presents a way to follow. His life was the prime example of love and care and commitment to people on the margin of culture, to those cast out of society. I’m drawn to follow Him. In fact, it makes good sense to do so.

On the other hand, to be “driven” is to be whipped along in front of the one doing the driving. We are not to be the whipping boy of some greater purpose conjured up in an emotionally charged moment. The only time Christ forced anyone to do anything was when he drove out the moneychangers in the temple courtyard. These culprits were driven to take advantage of an opportunity to make money at someone else’s expense. It is easy to adjust our purpose to suit ourselves and to be driven by it. It is harder to get off track when a person ahead marks the way, and all we need to do is follow.

So to be “driven” or “drawn”, which is it? Even if we say our purpose is to “follow Christ”, to be driven to follow is at best an oxymoron. We are pointedly foolish to think we are followers at the crack of a whip.