As Erik said in his review of Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper, it is a book full of information that will put you deep in thought and then you need to read it again 
. Piper touches on so many things that as Americans we have become consumed with – money, possessions, television, leisure time – things that are helping us waste our lives. My heart was stirred as Piper made the statement
We waste our lives when we do not pray and think and dream and plan and work toward magnifying God in all spheres of life
My response was “Yes, I am wasting my life….. now what?” Going back to that quote – it starts with prayer, Lord what are the things in my life that are not magnifying you, Lord, how can I change them. Psalm 139 came to mind:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
From there, God has put many things on my heart and so I am thinking on them, praying through them and planning how to take action. Piper provides a few questions that I think are helpful through the day,
How can I portray God as glorious in this action? How can I enjoy making much of Him in this behavior?
It is no coincidence to me that Erik and I were drawn to this book shortly after starting this blog. God has used Piper’s book to challenge us on the topic of our personal finances. We desire to use our money and possessions that God has so graciously blessed us with to make others glad in God.
To make others glad in God with an everlasting gladness, our lives must show that he is more precious than life. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” (Psalm 63:3). To do this we must make sacrificial life choices rooted in the assurance that magnifying Christ through generosity and mercy is more satisfying than selfishness. If we walk away from risk to keep ourselves safe and solvent, we will waste our lives… If Christ is an all-satisfying treasure and promises to provide all our needs, even through famine and nakeness, then to live as though we had all the same values as the world would betray him.
Filed under: Bible Verses, Book references, Giving
