Don't Waste It

by Victoria Gaines
Published June 23, 2006

In re-reading John Piper's book, Don't Waste Your Life, I recalled why I put it down before. Gut-wrenching conviction. While I traced his thoughts from page to page again, my heart burned with pain. Partly due to this:

"Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud--just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend--woven around church (mostly)."

This is the way of life for millions. Piper calls it a wasted life because we were created for so much more.

Piper says it's almost impossible to see what's happened to us since we live in a world created by TV. "We have become almost incapable of handling any great truth reverently and deeply." Instead, our minds, made to love and know God, have been ruined by banality. Neil Postman said, "As a result, America is the world's first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death."

Have we developed a comfort zone with Jesus as a "add-on"? Piper asks, what are we doing to waken people to the beauty of Christ? Is He our real treasure?

Are our lives any different than the world's?

Piper's right. "Even sinners work hard, avoid gross sin, watch TV at night, and do fun stuff on the weekend. What more are you doing than the others?"

May the Lord move in our hearts to convict and empower us to live more fully for Him, because it is in Him that we should live and move and have our being.

"But whatever you do, find the God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated passion of your life, and find your way to say it and live for it and die for it. And you will make a difference that lasts. You will not waste your life." ~ John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

Viewed 187 times