Piper is a prodigious Christian writer who has authored more than twenty books. He pastors Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. I have read several of his books, and he continually offers solid, refreshing Christian teaching.
In Don't Waste Your Life, Piper tells the reader about his personal discovery of the single passion worth pursuing in life. He writes, "It was not always plain to me that pursuing God's glory would be virtually the same as pursuing my joy. Now I see that millions of people waste their lives because they think these paths are two and not one."
He describes a typical married couple working through life to accumulate wealth so that they can retire and leisurely collect seashells in Florida. He calls this course of life a waste. Any life that treasures anything above Christ is a tragedy, writes Piper.
According to Piper, we were created for more than merely providing for a family and trying to live a good life. For Christians, Piper writes of a cause that is paramount to all others.
He encourages us to consider the cause of Christ, the greatest king who ever lived. He writes, "The greatest cause in the world is joyfully rescuing people from hell, meeting their earthly needs, making them glad in God, and doing it with a kind, serious pleasure that makes Christ look like the treasure he is."
Piper avoids rules, formulas and steps to living a fruitful live. He proposes becoming single-minded in possessing a passion for Christ and for glorifying him above all else in our lives. As we do this continually, we are sure to live satisfying, fruitful lives, says Piper.
Piper accomplishes more than covering the basics of living the Christian life. Using personal stories, quotes from other writers, and many scriptures, he emphasizes the values of Christ and his calling upon our lives.
Piper summarizes his view of Christ's calling upon our lives, "God seldom calls us to an easier life, but always calls us to know more of him and drink more deeply of his sustaining grace."
The book consists of ten chapters with each chapter having several sections. A theme that runs through the book is the virtue of taking risks in life for the glory of Christ. Piper emphasizes courage as characteristic to the Christian-courage to take steps of faith, to risk losing life to gain glory for the name of Jesus.
He writes, "There can be no weary resignation, no cowardly retreat, and no merciless contentment among Christ's people while he is disowned among thousands of unreached peoples."
Piper calls Christians to arms in a battle that we can join no matter who we are or where we are. We can advance Christ's kingdom in the workplace or on the missions field. If we become passionate about living for Him, we will experience his passionate joy and avoid wasting our lives.
Don't Waste Your Life succeeds in creating passion and purpose in the reader. Piper concludes the book with a prayer that will help the reader communicate the desires of his or her heart to God.
