Don't Waste Your Life

View other editions of Don't Waste Your Life.
View books by John Piper.

Read before making big decisions - Rated
Piper longs to grab us by the lapels and shake us until we awake from our stupor and realise how great Christ is and how petty our preoccupations are. Excellent stuff. I read this first with a group of students on a camp and later re-read it with the lady I was then courting (now my wife). It is worth reading before making decisions that require the compass of your life to be set in the right direction.

There are, as with any book, a question mark or two. Firstly an unbalanced pessimism; I realise that this is a huge question where godly men disagree and I am not worthy to criticise one of the stature of John Piper whose books have helped me and countless others so much. Those who share a more positive eschatology will find that his take is just a bit too reductionist. He is absolutely right that we must have a war-time mentality at all times. Nonetheless, there is a time to step back and remember what we're fighting for: the transformation (not the replacement) of the cosmos through the rule of Christ via redeemed humanity. We're not fighting a losing battle for a handful of souls while we wait for Jesus to return. That said, most of us, myself included, can do with a bit more fighting and a bit less relaxing, so I still highly commend the book.

Secondly, I think he does go too far in trying to imbue the cross with a place that it doesn't have in scripture, as the ground through which those who hate Jesus receive good things. Scripture doesn't present common grace as a result of the cross, and it is a rather odd concern for him to raise in this book.

I love this book. Read it. Another helpful review is here: http://www.e-n.org.uk/2526-Don't-waste-your-life.htm

Excellent - Rated
John Piper is an absolute breath of fresh air. There's no window dressing some of the harder claims in the bible such as "it's better to lose your life than to waste it".

He gets inside bible verses and draws them together. The section regarding objectivity and subjectivity is essential reading. This book could be one of the most important books outside of the bible that you will ever read.

The DVD edition is worth getting I think - the sermon is 45 mins, (and obviously along the same lines as the book) but Piper delivers it with pure passion that is quite something to hear.

I'm 24 and just about to finish college as I write this. I don't know what the future holds, but I will not waste my life.

Deeply Chanlenging, Deeply Moving - Rated
It starts with the deeply moving story of a man converted in his old age, which is a short but moving precorsur to this excellent book. Piper writes well, and what he has to say (arguably the most important truths of all) is clearly expressed. I would not wish to deprive anyone of the beauty of this book by saying much about it, suffice it to say that it is a must buy.

Avoid the tragedy of a wasted life - Rated
This is a tremendous book; a great book to read at the start of another year. The vast expanse of the rest of our life (or the not so vast, God alone knows) stretches before us – the question hangs in the air: Will we waste it? What will we have to show at the end of our one and only precious God-given life?

Is Jesus useful only for escaping Hell, or is he the Treasure of our lives? Do we live lives that demonstrate something of the all-surpassing value of Jesus, or lives that show only too clearly that we have the same earthbound focus as our neighbours? Are we wasting our lives?

John Piper demonstrates with passionate forceful clarity that a life lived revelling in God’s glory and seeking to bring glory to him in every sphere of life is the only way to really live your life. He issues a call to serve and glorify Christ in the ministry, on the mission field, and in secular jobs. Amidst his passion there is balance and wisdom for all believers.

In the first two or three chapters, perhaps less easy to read than the rest of the book, Piper tells us of his discovery of the preciousness of Christ. And this is his great prayer for the readers of his book – that we will not only see it, but live it out. The succeeding chapters are powerfully challenging with titles like:
‘Risk is right – Better to lose your life than to waste it’
‘Living to prove He is more precious than life’
‘Making much of Christ 8 to 5’
‘The majesty of Christ in missions and mercy’

This isn't a book to read quickly, but a book that will take you time and will profoundly challenge you – your use of time, money and life itself. If you want to live life as God intends this is a book is for you. It should be compulsory reading for every Christian!