Don't Waste Your Life

John Piper is one of my favorite authors. He has had more influence on my thinking than almost anyone else. And so I am predisposed to enjoy anything he writes.

Having made that disclaimer, I must say this is one of his most powerful books I have read. There is a lot of typical "Piper" in it -- God is most glorified when we are most satisfied with him -- but this book reads a little different. It is not quite as “thick” and slow to read. While it makes its point well, it is not a hard read. Its thrust is to challenge people to not waste their life pursuing goals that are less than the greatest goal of all — enjoying and magnifying God.

He starts with an autobiographical description of his own life, and how he came to understand that our purpose in life is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. And then he encourages us with words such as this:

“But whatever you do, find the God-centered,Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated passion of our 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.”

His different topics include glorifying God in the midst of suffering and death, taking risks, adopting a wartime lifestyle, living out your joy in Christ at work, and closes with a plea to this generation to not waste their life by pursuing things of lesser joy.

The book is a great give-away. For anyone at a pivotal period in their life — graduation, job, mid-life crisis, retirement — it will challenge them to not waste their life. If you read any of Piper, after Desiring God this should be the book. DesiringGod.org offers a great discount for this book bought in bulk. We should be thankful to the publisher, Crossway Books, that they allow for this type of deep discount.

There is also a study guide and a group study kit.

		Purchase from ChristianBooks.com for $10.99 (as of 2.18.2008)
		Purchase from Amazon.com for $11.19 (as of 2.18.2008)

Publisher's description

In this provocative work Pastor Piper challenges us to set aside the trivial pursuit of self-fulfillment so that we can develop a deeper passion for God. Piper believes that if we passionately submit the sufferings we endure, the risks we take, and the goals we set to the pursuit of God's glory, then not one moment of our lives will be wasted. Don't miss this opportunity to rekindle your passion for the cross of Christ and the glory of God.