As the son of Robert H. Schuller of Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power fame, Schuller knew that he had a tough act to follow when he succeeded his father as senior pastor of their megachurch in California. He draws on his own story as a way to introduce his thesis that we are unique, created by God to do something in this world that nobody else can do. Using the metaphor of a journey, Schuller divides the book into fifteen chapters designed to argue and reinforce the point that regardless of our circumstances each step of our journey serves both to equip us for and maintain us in our life's purpose. Our past has prepared us, the present continues to shape us, and all the twists, turns, roadblocks, and setbacks that we encounter play an essential role in this grand plan. We therefore need to persevere, be courageous, and remain focused on the bigger picture.
The chapters are a montage of stories about people whose lives took unexpected turns, some threatening to derail their progress in their ultimate goal, and how they handled these difficulties. Most are quite inspiring, a sort of Chicken Soup for the Soul interspersed with Schuller's commentary and observations. Many of these tales he links to passages of Scripture, using them to illustrate a point for which he finds support in the Bible. The subtitle indicates that the author has at least two foundational premises wrapped up in promises: first, that there is a God and he does have a purpose for our lives; and second, that we can discover that purpose and receive God's help in living it out.
The principle that God has a plan for individuals is sometimes explained to the reader in rather human-centered terms: Schuller places us as the pinnacle of a pyramid of realities, with God's existence, ability, love, creation and household leading the way to the apex-people as God's image. In the course of this discussion, he tries to establish God as the foundation supporting and enabling us to fulfill our dreams:
John 3:16, the most famous verse in the Bible, says God loved us so much He came to earth to meet with us and provide what we need to live life. Jesus Himself said, "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of" (John 10:10 The Message). Think about that. Whatever life you have dreamed about having, Jesus came to provide it and more. I'm sure these words of Jesus are what inspired the apostle Paul (who discovered a life better than he had ever imagined) to write, "Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope" (Eph. 3:20 NLT). (10)
In this section, and indeed on and off throughout the book, Schuller explains the idea of one's purpose in life in terms that clearly set humans in the center around which everything, including in some ways God, revolves: God can help us and even came to earth to provide what we need. This was not surprising to read given the emphasis on "positive Christianity" in the Crystal Cathedral and the Hour of Power. The presentation of the book as uniquely Christian, however, and Schuller's ready identification with the Reformed Church of America, seem to demand more than what the reader can get from talk shows and the array of other, not specifically Christian, self-help books.
Nevertheless, Schuller is happily inconsistent in this human-centered perspective: there are times in the book when he transcends it long enough to discuss our drama in divine terms.
When I talk to people searching for their purpose in life, they usually talk about 'needing to know' and 'needing insight'-they want to find what is 'best' for them in life. Knowledge, insight, finding what's best-the apostle Paul said we find those things not by pursuing them but by pursuing love. Did you know everything we need for ourselves in life comes as a byproduct of loving God and loving others? (145, emphasis his)
The parts of his book that force us to look at our lives from the long-even eternal-perspective of the God who made us and has deigned to use us in this world are refreshing, if too brief.
Schuller's confusion of perspective is most apparent in his treatment of Scripture. It more often, though not exclusively, serves to support his point than to be what informs his argument, and at times fails even to do that. His use of Psalm 23, for example, has little that connects it to his section-by-section advice (190-99). Reformed believers will find his treatment of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 similarly eisegetical when he encourages his readers to become the good type of soil: "I pray you'll prepare for the rest of your life by allowing yourself to receive the gift of eternal life" (179).
As far as the book's promise that it will help the reader discover God's direction for his or her life, it is hard to see what Schuller offers except the reminders that our personal narrative is not over until it's over. Using many examples (indeed, every chapter begins with a story), we are prompted to stay the course in pursuit of our dreams and goals. Beyond this encouragement to persevere in following them, though, there is no direction on how one might "discover" them.
Ultimately the usefulness of the book will be determined by the perspective of the reader: those who are looking for general encouragement with some Christian support will find this a hopeful, if rather thin, read. On the other hand, those who are looking to understand the ways of God in the lives of humans will likely be disappointed: even those times Schuller does turn to the Bible, he seems unable to allow Scripture to set the agenda for his discussion. That is to be expected in a secular book that seeks to inspire. It is a disappointment when the book is marketed as a way to discover God's direction for our lives.
