You Get to Decide What Rules Your Life - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - September 5, 2025
Daily Hope with Rick Warren
Audio By Carbonatix
By Rick Warren, Crosswalk.com
You Get to Decide What Rules Your Life
By Rick Warren
“The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.” Jeremiah 17:9 (GW)
One fundamental question in life stands above all others:
What will have the final authority in your life?
Will it be your parents? Or your peers? Maybe your friends or your career? Perhaps the books you read? The people you follow on social media? What about the movies or shows you watch or the songs you listen to?
All of these sources will shape your values if you let them—and your values ultimately determine what has final authority in your life.
So, what will it be for you? God allows you to decide. He’s given you free will.
Most of your authority options fall into these three categories:
Your opinions: You can depend on your gut to tell you what to do. But there’s a problem with that: Studies show your perceptions are more likely to be wrong than right. In fact, sometimes you even lie to yourself. The Bible says, “The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is” (Jeremiah 17:9 GW).
The world: You could base your values on what others think—but people often value the wrong things. For instance, the world emphasizes beauty over character, tells you to pursue whatever feels good, and declares that whoever has the most possessions wins. You’re bombarded with these worldly values through all sorts of media, so much so that it’s easy to start thinking God put you on this planet to look good, feel good, and get stuff. But that couldn’t be further from the truth!
God’s Word: God’s Word is objective and truthful—unlike your own perceptions or the world’s opinions. God’s Word says, “If you continue in My word . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32 NASB).
The choice is clear. There’s only one authority that’s always reliable and will never lead you astray. Decide today to allow God’s Word to shape your values by giving it the final authority in your life.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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