Don't Waste Your Life (Paperback)

by John Piper (Author) "My father was an evangelist..." (more)
Key Phrases: avoidance ethic, wartime lifestyle, blazing center, Don't Waste Your Life, Jesus Christ, The Majesty of Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Piper is writing at his most humble and transparent, and Lloyd James brings home his message like a trusted friend, the words soothing, encouraging, and inspiring. Fully capturing the tone of the piece, James reads it the way it should be heard, never rushing or forcing a point. Together Piper and James give listeners a sense of intimacy and propriety, treating the material as the precious information it is." --AudioFile --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Description

John Piper writes, "I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A couple 'took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. . . .' Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: 'Look, Lord. See my shells.' That is a tragedy.

"God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives."

Most people slip by in life without a passion for God, spending their lives on trivial diversions, living for comfort and pleasure, and perhaps trying to avoid sin. This book will warn you not to get caught up in a life that counts for nothing. It will challenge you to live and die boasting in the cross of Christ and making the glory of God your singular passion. If you believe that to live is Christ and to die is gain, read this book, learn to live for Christ, and don't waste your life!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (May 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581344988
• ISBN-13: 978-1593281052
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,940 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

176 of 184 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, challenging read, September 2, 2003

By	Philip Fung "Always trying to read more" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I agree with the gist of the other reviewers.

I would also like to add that this book is probably a bit more hard hitting than his other stuff. He comes right out and calls people to bigger and better things. I can imagine some people actually being offended by some things that he says - that simply going to work and raising your kids aren't all that God has called you to. There's a great calling to consider cross-cultural missions work. :) He says things like:

"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 stuf on the weekend - woven around church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more."

and

"God does not promise enough food for comfort or for life - he promises enough so that you can trust him and do his will."

All in all, it's a great book, and a little more application than Desiring God. A little easier read, in that it's not as theologically heavy, I think. Definitely quality

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Must Read, June 20, 2003

By	"aggietrue" (Tulsa) - See all my reviews

When I first heard the title from this book, I was intrigued. His flier that was sent further intrigued me. On the one side it said something to the effect of "If you could have a good spouse, good kids, nice car, long weekends, a few good friends, a fun retirement, a quick and easy death and no hell, would you be satisfied?" You turn the flier over and it said "This is a tragedy in the making. Don't waste your life". Wow. You can see where he may be going...

What he has put together in this book is truly life changing, and will shatter many of your (and my) preconceived ideas on living a godly life - by using Scripture as his basis in all areas.

The first couple of chapters are more biographical/introductory, and how he came to where he is now. Although interesting, he does seemingly wander a bit in dealing with subjective and objective truth and existintilism in his life (the beginning was not my favorite part of the book). Those are phrases that put the majority of Christians to sleep. Do not let that stop you!! By the end of the 2nd chapter, he is going full force, and the book will seriously begin to challenge your ideas on how we are truly to live.

He has chapters focused on areas such as constantly looking to the Cross of Christ for our joy and our daily living and bearing fruit and being selfless in the manner that we live, as well as a fun expositional on Philippians 1.

However, while all the chapters were very good/excellent, Chapter 7 alone is worth ten times the price of the book. If you don't read anything else in the book, read Chapter 7. This chapter will grab you and radically force you to deal with your life. He quotes 1 Peter 3:15 about "always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within you.." and turns around and asks the question (something like) "do people see hope in your life by the way you live - or is your life so much like the world's that there isn't much of a difference". I don't want to ruin the chapter by revealing all of the information, but he deals with money, finances, Christian living, and media - for starters. He gives wartime examples of living and shows from Scripture how we are to live.

For those who may be a bit intimidated by Piper, as a few of his books are more difficult to read for "mainstream" readers, this is also one of his easiest books to read and can be read by virtually anyone. This book is very "practical" and deals with daily issues of life. You will find few better authors today than John Piper, and while this book won't get the reading that a "Prayer of Jabez" or "Purpose Driven Life" will get - which is extremely unfortunate and a shame - those that do read this 190 page book will have transformed lives, and not just a warm fuzzy feeling at the end.

Be warned - you will be challenged, and you may not like what he says. However, what he says in the book is what needs to be taught and read today - and most importantly he is right, because his book is based on Scripture. I read a lot of Christian books, and not all of them are as good as I hoped. Trust me - you will NOT be disappointed in this book.

107 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sends an important wake-up call to the Christian., November 11, 2003

By	Erik Olson "Seeker Reviews" (Ridgefield, WA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It seems that Christian publishers tend to simultaneously release books that deal with similar themes (work of the Holy Spirit, grace, etc.). The latest trend appears to be on rising above the ordinary and living passionately for Christ. "Don't Waste Your Life" is a stand-out book among this crowd. John Piper is one of the giants of modern Christian writing, and this book is another showcase of his gifts.

Movies and TV series like "Office Space" and "The Office" strike a nerve because we identify with their main theme - the futility of the average life. How many of us feel that we've somehow managed to settle for complacency and boredom instead of the risk and passion that we dream about? In the Christian's case, how many are just playing it safe by focusing on the 'thou-shalt-nots' instead of actually stepping out in faith to DO God's will? These are difficult questions to answer honestly, but we must do so for our own eternal good. For as Piper states, "only what's done for Christ will last."

Each chapter of "Don't Waste Your Life" deals with different aspects of magnifying Christ. Risk-taking, suffering, and the workplace are all arenas where we can glorify God and enjoy Him as we lead our daily lives. However, the last chapter reveals Piper's heart: missions. Ultimately, the overarching theme of this book is winning others to Christ by our lives, and if necessary, by our words. To that end, Piper implores the reader "in the name of Jesus to wake up, and enlarge your heart, and stretch your mind, and spread your wings." For when all is said and done, what really matters is that those who are lost are lost no more.