Quote-ables (delayed, but not forgotten!)

Book recommendation time!

Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper. Pretty straight forward title. At the recommendation of two friends, and on loan from one, I am now experiencing it for myself.

This book will challenge you right out of your average, mediocre, lukewarm Christian existence. If you take action...

We were all created for a single purpose; to passionately live to glorify God. No matter our age, no matter our occupation, no matter our background.

There are a lot of Christians who use God as "fire insurance" or as some sort of good luck charm when times are tough. It is wrong. God didn't just create us, and send his Son to save us, just so we could be exempt for eternity in hell. We are to glorify Him here on earth in EVERYTHING we do.

...but let me get to the quoting part of this post.

In the second chapter of the book Piper begins to talk about the life of a man named Jonathan Edwards. You've probably heard of him. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) played a huge part in the Great Awakening of America. Though his life was abruptly ended by smallpox, the years that he lived, he lived with intentional purpose and passion. In his twenties Edwards wrote a list of 70 resolutions which he was going to live by. Go read them. If you can get past the outdated language, you will find they are pretty radical.

In his book, Piper quotes several of them.

"...5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

...17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die." (he also quotes #22, but I am focusing on these 3)

Now, you might find it rather depressing that I am talking about death at my mere 18 years of age. But actually, I am talking about LIFE.

No one has promised me 80ish years of living. No one has even promised me tomorrow. I, like Jonathan Edwards and John Piper, have come to a point where I have determined to live now, with all I have, to the glory of God. Jesus died for me to have life to the full (John10:10). While I am still sucking air I am going to take full advantage of what is already mine.

In Philippians 1 Paul, who is in jail at the time, writes this;

"...On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose.
As long as I'm alive in this body, there is good work for me to do..."(the message)

I am guaranteed life eternal. But I refuse to sit around waiting for it to occur when I die.

As people get older and think they are nearing death they begin to formulate "bucket lists" of all the things the suddenly feel are important for them to accomplish before they die; utterly ridiculous, and rather sad, in my opinion. I am going to live now, until the moment I stop breathing, in such a manner that there will be no bucket list for me to formulate. When I die I want my life to scream "SOLI DEO GLORIA" (Latin, Glory to God alone).

What are YOU living for? What in your life is worth dying for?

Go buy a copy of this book. Read it. And live it. You've got one life. Don't waste it.