My thoughts of 'Don't Waste Your Life' by John Piper

This book is awesome!

The first place I saw something that really caught my eye was on page 28. This is where John Piper talks about God being glorified and God being enjoyed are the same thing.

He says enjoying God is a way to glorify Him. I guess the reason I noticed this is because I never thought about it that way before. Awesome.

The next thing I noticed is something that I hear repeatedly, but never get tired of it because it is so true.

Page 31-32, Piper tells us that we are created to glorify God. That is where our happiness is. If our happiness is in God, then we are glorifying Him. If we keep that happiness inside our lives, we are not sharing this happiness with others.
John Piper says, “The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all people.”
He also says that we waste our lives when we do not glorify God with all our life, not just pieces.
This challenged me. It makes me take a step back and think, ‘am I doing this? Am I glorifying God in all I do?’

Next, I love where John Piper goes. Magnification and Glorifying.
Sometimes glorify means beautify. However, when you beautify something, you try to make it more glorious than it already is. Come on, can you really make God more glorious than He already is? I think not.
So…John Piper says when we mean glorify, we really mean magnify.
Not magnification through a microscope, that makes objects small seem big. No, we want magnification like a telescope! A telescope makes something so majestic, like a star, look like it really is.

Something else that John Piper says in this chapter also struck me.
“If you don’t point people to God for everlasting joy, you don’t love. You waste your life.”
This makes me think more about how I act towards people. Makes me check myself to make sure I am showing God’s love, not just trying to make myself look good.

The next chapter: Boasting only in the Cross-, the Blazing Center of the Glory of God. This is an amazing chapter.
John Piper tells us our main purpose is to exult the cross. The Bible shows us this is what we are supposed to do.
Our life needs to be zeroed in to a single target. That target is the cross of Christ.

Okay, so the fourth chapter John Piper challenges us to magnify Christ no matter what. I think that is something pretty awesome, but also something many people struggle with.
Makes me want to make sure no matter what, even through pain or death, I try to magnify Him.

The next chapter continues this, saying that if we do what we are commanded to do, if we do God’s will for our lives, we will have joy. Piper says, ‘The love of Christ triumphs over all misery.’
This reminds me of Paul. Paul went through so many troubles and so much persecution. What is so amazing though is this, what was he doing, even in prison? This man was still glorifying God. Though chained and beaten, Paul still was glad in Christ. He was happy because he knew he was doing what Christ wanted him to do.

Chapter 6, make others glad in Christ.
This taught me that my goal should be to show other people how glad I am in Christ, but John Piper warns us that we cannot make anyone glad in Christ. I noted this, ‘…we can’t make anyone glad in God. …It is the effect of God’s grace…Joy in God is awakened in the heart when God graciously opens our eyes to see the glory of the Gospel.”
We should work with people, but not make them feel as though they were being forced into knowing Christ.
He also says in this chapter, ‘gladness is not a peripheral religious experience.’ He explains that here:
‘When I speak of gladness in God, therefore, I mean a gladness that has roots in God’s eternal decree, was purchased by the blood of Christ, springs up in the newborn heart because of God’s Spirit, awakens in repentance and faith, constitutes the essence of sanctification and Christ-likeness, and gives rise to a life of love and a passion for redeeming the world after the image of God. Gladness in God is a massive reality planned and purchased and produced by God in the lives of His elect for the glory of His name.’
I thought that was awesome. :)

Chapter seven, living to prove He is more precious than life, challenged me to make sure others see that I value God more than life or possessions, and not just in front of other people either, but also in everyday life. Whew, kinda tough!

In closing, chapters 8 and 9, Piper challenges us repeatedly to live for Christ, to magnify Christ, to help others, no matter where you are.
I do not have to be a missionary to help others or tell them about God’s awesome love. I can do this everywhere I am, wherever God wants my help. At work, school, and at the grocery store, I can show others His glory, His love, His Son, and maybe they will come to know Him.

East to West

Psalm 103:11-12
"(11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His stedfast love towards those who for fear Him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."

Take out your globe. Now run your finger north up it. What happens when you get to the other side? Whoa! Hang on! Now you are heading south!

Now run your finger east around the equator. Now what happens when you get to the other side? Hmm, you are still going east. No matter how many times you go around, you will always be going east. The same goes for west.

So, in those verses, it says that He removes our transgressions (our sins) as far as the east is from the west. What did you just find out with your globe? That line is unending! Isn't that awesome??

Just thought I's share that bit of awesome info ;)

I need You

Everywhere I turn, something comes.
Everywhere I look, a new trouble.
I need You, I need You beside of me.
Things are coming, things that are hard.
I'm scared, I'm shrinking away.

God, You know I need You now,
You know I'm scared.
The times are tough, things are hard.
God, I need You here.

The evil one is telling me I can't.
I'm useless, says he.
Stay home, you can't do it.
This fear he has put in my heart,
it eats me from the inside out.
I'm scared.

God, You know I need You now,
You know I'm scared.
The times are tough, things are hard.
God, I need You here.

Take this fear, hide it away.
Help me, dear God, help me put it away.
Turn my focus, turn it from fear and insecurity.
Turn it towards You and Your mission for me.
Help me see, help me walk.
Help me closer to You.
I need You here beside of me.

God, You know I need You now,
You know I'm scared.
The times are tough, things are hard.
God, I need You here.

Oh God, You see my fears,
and You know my thoughts.
But You come and hide them from view.
God, You lift me out of my fears
and show me Your will.
I put them behind me and look to You.

Now all I see is Your will for me!
I know You will stay with me.

God, You knew I needed You, and still do.
You knew I was scared, and carried me through.
The times were tough, and things were hard,
But You knew and helped me through.

I needed You, and You heard my prayer.
I needed You, and You helped me through.
I needed You, and You were there.

Hold Me

I know Who holds me in His hand, Who picks me up when I am down. He tells me everything’s gonna work out.
Even if I can’t see the end, He holds me close and encourages me to go on. I know no matter what happens, Jesus will be there next to me.
He hears my tears, and wipes them away. Jesus knows my fears and gives me courage. He carries me when I feel I cannot go on.

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask you, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

God, You love me. You sent Your Son to die on that tree. Rising again, Jesus set me free!

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask You, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

You know when I need You the most.
Though things may happen that I do not understand, You hold me close.

God, You did the hard thing. You gave Your Son, to die the death of a thief, for me. You didn’t have to, but You did, because You love me.

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask you, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

I do bad things, so why should the Lord God Almighty love me? Why should Jesus die for me? Why should the Holy One hold me in His hand?
You have always loved me, always cared. Even before Adam and Eve, You knew me and loved me.

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask you, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

Hold me, oh God, hold me close. Through this time, hold me in Your hand.

It’s hard, but You know. It’s hard, but You care. It’s hard, oh God, but You hold me and say it’s gonna be okay.

Hold me, oh God, hold me. I know You love me; I know You will carry me through.

The Curtain

When Jesus died on the cross, Matthew 27:50 where it says 'And Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.' verse 51, 'And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.'

Now you may be thinking, okay, a curtain tore. What's up with that? Why is that important? These at least were my thoughts at one time.

You must know the history of this curtain to really understand the significance of the tearing.

In the Jewish temple, there were sections where only certain people could go. The outermost section, anybody and everybody could enter. The middle chamber was only open to priests, but then there was the inner chamber. This was the most Holy place, kept from the outside world by a curtain. No one could go in this chamber except on a certain day, the Day of Atonement. This is where one priest would go and ask for the forgiveness of all the people's sins. The priest had to follow every rule, every step when he entered this chamber. Before he walked in, he had to make an offering for his own sins, signifying that he too was sinful.

Now, there we see the curtain mentioned in the text. The curtain preventing anyone but that priest on that day to have access to God.

Look at Hebrews 10:19-20 "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,"

There is the curtain. What this is talking about is how we no longer are prevented from having a personal relationship with God. Back then, the only people that could talk to God were the priests. But when Jesus died for us on the cross, becoming the ultimate sacrifice, He broke that wall, or curtain, preventing us from access to a relationship with God.

Notice how the curtain tore. 'top to bottom' according to the text. The path from Heaven to earth was opened. Jesus opened that path, that line of communication, with His death on the cross. Now, in a way, we are priests. We can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

That is why a curtain tearing is mentioned in the Bible.

"Psalms 103:11-12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His stedfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."

My Testimony

How to begin, that is a good question.

I guess a good place would be the day I realized I needed Him.

When I was five, I asked Jesus into my heart, but this past year I felt alone. I couldn’t remember that day. I couldn’t remember the date or even just doing it really. I held back for months, thinking, maybe I did and I shouldn’t worry about it. I went to a camp last summer, and there I made assurance of my salvation. I believed that Jesus, Who is the Son of God, was alive here on this earth and lived a perfect life. I know He died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day. It was awesome!

So, I was involved in my church. I did everything possible. I went to church, rain, snow, sleet, or ice, it didn’t matter. Every time the doors were open, unless I was sick, I was in that building.

I think it was not to long after that camp, I felt as though something was missing. A sense of, well, emptiness. Why was this? I was doing everything that they told me I was supposed to do, but why the emptiness? Why did the 'religious buzz’ wear off after I walked out the double doors?

What I didn’t know was my parents had this same feeling. My dad talked to a friend of his and this friend gave him a sermon by an awesome pastor. It was a sermon about being all about Jesus. My dad listened to that and was in awe. He let my mom listen to it, and then told us.

It wasn’t about what we did, what we wore, or anything like that. What it is about is Jesus! That is what, or really Who we were missing. Not that we didn’t already know Him as our Savior, no. It was we didn’t really have a good view of Him. He wasn’t really everything we looked at. Jesus wasn’t the center of our lives, like He should be.

After we put Jesus as the main focus of our lives, we began really studying the Bible, a lot of it as a family.

It's really awesome. I could never ask for a better family. My parents help me a lot.

So, now my purpose in life is to live for Jesus, fulfill the work He told us to do (you know, go, teach, baptize? The Great Commission? Check it out, you should.) and make sure I don't live a wasted life (John Piper's 'Don't Waste Your Life' awesome!). I hope to grow closer to God while going out into the community and telling others of His awesome love.

"Psalm 103:11-12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His stedfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."