Don't Waste Your Life

Leprosy can make life a lot simpler. Being terminally ill often cultivates the clarity of mind that enables people to approach things that are good for them, but which previously made them cower.

Remember the four lepers of Samaria? The city was being starved to death under siege from Syria, and these four were stuck outside the gate between the city and the Syrian army.

They deliberated,

If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die. (2 Kings 7:4)

The question wasn’t whether or not they'd die. That was the no-brainer that their leprosy helped them recognize. The issue, then, was simply when and where: Next week in the city? Tomorrow at the gate? Or today at the hands of our enemies?

They concluded that their enemies could do nothing more to them than what nature had already assigned. And, unlike their city and their skin, their enemies might even show them mercy.

So, in this case, the most frightful prospect was actually the wisest, most fruitful way to go.

Most people think of a sticker as an insignificant little decoration to go on a car bumper or a kid's toy or a guitar case. But I've seen a sticker accomplish significant things.

Once, at a little Mexican place called El Mirador in Pismo Beach, CA, I met a middle-aged man sitting across the booth from his elderly father. While I was ordering, he read my T-shirt.

"What does 'Don't Waste Your Life' mean?" He had a gruff voice, a pony-tail under a baseball cap, and smelled like cigarettes.

"Well, what do you think it means to not waste your life?" I asked.

"You just gotta work hard and be good to people and love your family as best you can," he said.

I handed him a sticker. On the front was the phrase, "Don't Waste Your Life," and on the back was a single sentence:

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.

I talked with him for a few minutes about why that statement is true and why a life for Christ is more than all good intentions and family and hard work.

There was no miraculous breakthrough at that little Mexican restaurant. He probably finished his taco and had a cigarette. But I gave him the sticker, and I pray God uses the truth on it to stir his heart and open his eyes to the only lasting treasure in the universe: Jesus Christ. If God is "able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or imagine," then he is certainly able to use a sticker for His kingdom.

We have several new products that we hope will help you reach others with the message that Jesus is a worthwhile treasure—these stickers, as well as a DWYL-themed poster and some journals. Of course, in themselves they are insignificant, but we hope and trust that through Christ, they will become tools to accomplish his significant work.

Recently I received an email from Anita, whose grandmother had just passed away at the age of 91. Nana, as she was called, was a modern-day testimony of what it means that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

Anita wrote,

About 5 years ago, Nana was given a book to read. The book was called Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. Nana loved this book. She read it out loud to herself (and to anyone within earshot)… twice!

At one point in the book, John Piper reflects on the Bible verse in Philippians where Paul says, "to live is Christ, to die is gain." He says that "death is a threat to the degree that it frustrates your main goals." I was reflecting on this and realized that Nana was not threatened by death…. In fact, she frequently told us over the past few years that she probably wouldn't live much longer—to the point where it became a joke!

Death has not robbed Nana of what she treasured the most. Death does not rob Nana of Christ. She lived for Christ, and now (because of Christ) her death is her gain. She is with her Lord and Savior.

So what does an email like this mean for me at the age of 24?

It is an encouragement and a reminder to not be fearful of death no matter if I live till tomorrow or till I’m 91. It is a reminder that death is not a bad thing if you are in Christ Jesus. In fact, it is the most exciting, most joyful thing to know that we will be sharing in eternity with our Savior!

This email is a reminder that we have one life to live for Christ. It has given me an increased desire to hear in the end, when all is said and done, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25: 23).

The Don’t Waste Your Life podcast is about one year old now. Our goal for this project has been to offer regular encouragement to make the most of your life.

What that has meant for me is hours if not days of watching interviews and other clips multiple times hoping to find something that would be challenging and thought-provoking to you, the viewer.

As some of you may already know from our latest episode, we are looking to change things up a bit by posting your videos about what the unwasted life is and examples of what it looks like.

There are endless stories that could be told. So, using the same medium that the world uses to glorify the wasted life, let’s use video to promote the unwasted life and to glorify Christ.

All the video from the DWYL conference is now available.

Read the call to missions that John Piper gave this evening. (Update: You can now listen to this message, too.)

The only sign of religion I saw while driving through Malibu today—alongside the Mercedes, Porsches, and Ferraris—was a single cross carved into the side of a college building.

True, a lack of churches on main street is not a certain indication of a city's spiritual condition, but it made me remember Pastor John's exhortation on Saturday to beware the love of money.

Malibu has nice houses, great views, big beaches, and wonderful weather. No doubt about it—part of me would enjoy spending some extended time there. But I'm thinking that, on account of my weakness, I'd do better to join Agur in his prayer:

Give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
(Proverbs 30:8-9)

You can now listen to or read the notes from "The Appearance of the Unwasted Life, Part 2," John Piper's final message from the DWYL conference.

You can now listen to or read the notes from "The Appearance of the Unwasted Life," John Piper's 3rd message at the DWYL conference.

You can now listen to or read the notes from "The Origin of the Unwasted Life," John Piper's 2nd message at the DWYL conference.

I asked Scott Anderson, Events Director at Desiring God, why we're having this regional conference here in San Luis Obispo.

The idea came about three years ago during the Passion book promotion. The Central Coast Evangelical Pastors Network (CCEPN) did a massive giveaway, and I knew at that time that we must have some mission partners out there.

That's when we connected with Steve Potratz, owner of Parable and chair of the CCEPN steering committee. God graced us with a relationship with him and, through him, a coalition of churches and people who have now gone through several Piper books and DVD kits. Conversations about a regional conference also began to stir.

It's because of their partnership that we've been able to host this conference and the big college event here at Cal Poly tomorrow night.

So we chose San Luis Obispo because of key relationships out there.

We also chose it because it's a really nice place to live, which means that the temptation to waste your life is strong here. So it's a place that needs to hear the call to not waste your life.

We want the central coast of California to be a sending place to the world rather than a destination.

On my flight yesterday morning, I asked two fellow California-bound travelers, “What do you think a conference about not wasting your life would be about?”

“I think of a self-help program with some guy giving ten easy steps for how to not waste your life,” was Eric’s response.

Ben had the same notion, only a little more specific: “It sounds like a self-help group that’s focused on career development.”

“What is a wasted life?” I then asked.

Eric didn’t hesitate: “It’s when someone doesn’t challenge themselves and doesn’t constantly seek new experiences in life.”

“It’s when someone doesn’t seek the good of society but only seeks to benefit themselves,” said Ben.

John Piper just finished his first of three messages on this theme of Don't Waste Your Life, here in San Luis Obispo.

Read or listen to what he has to say about “The Essence of the Unwasted Life.”

Today in Johannesburg, South Africa, I had lunch with Pastor Tim Cantrell of Honeyridge Baptist Church. Tim and his wife Michelle are from California and have taken up residence here, committing themselves to the ministry of this church. Yesterday an associate here in the region gave me a copy of a short article that Michelle wrote last year. I was touched by the description of their calling to minister in this country.

I could faithfully serve Christ and the gospel in another country. But I wouldn’t expect to reap the same amount of fruit as in a desperate place like Africa: “God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him.” (James 2:5). People here see their need for the Great Physician. People are suffering. We have the cure that they are asking for. The gospel (a biblical worldview) is the ultimate cure for AIDS and poverty and crime. In more western countries, people are deceptively self-sufficient and hardened to the gospel. Why not stay where the harvest is ripe and the workers are few?

Read the full article (PDF).

As I was reflecting on the latest DWYL Podcast, featuring Joshua Project and its focus on world evangelization, I was drawn back to read about this unfinished task in the book, Don’t Waste Your Life.

For its own soul the church [and me too] needs to be involved in missions. We will not know God in his full majesty until we know him moving triumphantly among the nations. We will not admire and praise him as we ought until we see him gathering a company of worshipers for himself from every people group on earth—including all the Muslim and Hindu and Buddhist peoples. Nothing enlarges our vision of God’s triumphant grace like the scope of his saving work in history. (pg. 172-3)

Many Christmas celebrations, stories, gatherings, devotionals, etc. seem to focus simply on the baby in the manger, and often they don't leave the manger.

If I never leave the manger in my Christmas meditations, I miss the scope and depth of Christmas. The baby Jesus left the manger, increased in wisdom and stature, showed us true righteousness, and gave his life to ransom a people from the many peoples of the world.

For a meaningful Christmas season—and a meaningful life—it is essential to see that Christ was undertaking a global mission when he became a little baby in a manger.

We recently received a testimony from a friend of DG who ministers to women at an Ohio county jail. She told us about her relationship with Julie.

When Julie began attending a weekly Bible study at the jail, she was a quiet, stony woman filled with anger, distrust, and doubt that the Bible study or the people ministering at it had anything to offer her. Our friend gave Julie a copy of Don't Waste Your Life and continually welcomed her to the study. Over the course of a few weeks, Julie, by God's gracious and gentle hand, began to soften. She began interacting more in the study, she encouraged her cell-mate to attend, she read Scripture and asked questions. Three weeks after their initial contact, Julie spoke in private with our friend.

"I don't know if I can get this out," tears now rolling down her face. "I walked with God 30 years ago..." Long pause. "This book was for me! You came here for me! I have lived my entire life in sin. Anger and bitterness is all that I have known. I just wanted to thank you for coming here."

Julie was released from prison two days later, saying she was going home, had surrendered her life to Jesus, and was planning with her husband to attend church. Our friend learned that ten days later Julie, at age 44, passed away unexpectedly. She died one month to the day from first receiving love from one of God's servants and hearing the call to an unwasted life. She placed her faith in Jesus, treasuring him above everything else and submitting to him as the Lord of her life, and has now entered into eternal and infinite joy in God's presence.

We've just released two new videos on the Don’t Waste Your Life Podcast of John Piper encouraging baby boomers to not waste their retirement. If retirement is a long way off for you, you may find these videos a great reminder that life is not about trying to pack money away so that you can avoid hardships at the end of life.

(If you would like to use these videos for larger groups you can download the hi-resolution videos found in iTunes.)

Here's the gist of the message you will hear in these videos:

Consider a story from the February 1998 edition of Reader’s Digest, which tells about a couple who “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.” At first, when I read it I thought it might be a joke. A spoof on the American Dream. But it wasn’t. Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life—your one and only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: “Look, Lord. See my shells.” That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life. (Don't Waste Your Life, 45-46)

“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.” John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, pg. 122

At Desiring God, it is our passion that as many people as possible will embrace this greatest cause for their life’s work. To that end, we hope you will be encouraged by a few new things at dontwasteyourlife.com.

• Released the 27th DWYL podcast, which is the beginning of a 4 part interview with the rock band Mainstay. We hope that you will be encouraged to hear how they seek to not waste their lives.
  
  
• Redesigned dontwasteyourlife.com with better navigation, a cleaner look, and a few more ways to get connected and spread the message.

A few months ago the International Outreach department here at DG donated several cases of books to a church in Pretoria that was hosting a youth conference. The event's theme was "Don't Waste Your Life," so they handed out copies of Don't Waste Your Life during the conference. The goal of the event was to challenge “teens, students and young adults to passionately live for Christ, and to not waste their lives on trivial or selfish pursuits.” We recently received a note of gratitude and a report on how the conference went:

During the evening we worshipped the LORD in song, watched DWYL podcasts, and were challenged by the evangelist Terry Rae. We also heard testimonies from various people about what God is doing in their lives.

One of the testimonies they had planned for the evening was from a man who left his career as an accountant to become a pastor and church planter. He started a Bible college at age 60 (which is still thriving). “He was still writing Christian books and tracts, speaking at youth groups and student meetings, preaching into his 90’s.” He died shortly before reaching his 95th birthday, less than 2 weeks before the conference.

After the example of his life was shared, the youth were challenged with the words of Jim Elliot, “When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.”

What does a young, cash-strapped, spreading-oriented Christian Hedonist do when he is going to pick up his first son in Addis Ababa? He researches a church that he could encourage and emails DG with a proposal. His idea went something like this.

I have found a Sovereign Grace church in Addis Ababa. I would like to find the pastor and deliver DG resources to him. If you can donate some resources to me, I have 5 lbs of room in my suitcase.

We received the following update and photo from Dustin:

They were ear-to-ear smiles with thankfulness for the generosity of Desiring God. They were humbled by the gift and thankful to have the resources to use to further the Gospel in Ethiopia. The pastor wrote out a thank you, and here it is word for word:

"Dear Desiring God Ministries: Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless you for your kindness in sending all the books and DVD materials. They will be a great help for advancing the Gospel here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sincerely, Molalign (Mo) Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church, Addis Ababa"

When Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, gave the 2005 Stanford commencement address, he essentially challenged the graduates to not waste their lives. Although his conclusions about how to not waste life fall short, it is interesting that Mr. Jobs tells his listeners to 1) trust in Providence, 2) see purpose in their suffering, and 3) reflect every day on the reality of death.

Back in March we announced that we had the opportunity to send 30,000 copies of Don’t Waste Your Life to an Army reception center in Georgia. Since then, we have sent nearly 53,000 copies of the book, study guide, and leader's kit to the military. We've sent another 5,400 copies into jails and schools. Books have gone all over the US, as well as to Japan, South Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. All of the costs for the books and shipping are covered by donors who give specifically to the "Don't Waste Your Life" sponsorship effort.

It is very exciting to watch how God has quietly been moving in the hearts of people to give toward the DWYL sponsorship program. At this moment, having sent all those books, we are only about $2,500 "under" on the funds. Almost as soon as we get requests for books, we also receive donations which cover the costs.

We can’t wait to see where God opens up the next opportunity for the books!

We interviewed Dave Dravecky this May in his office at Outreach of Hope in Colorado Springs. He loves talking about the sovereignty of God over suffering, especially as it relates to his own life.

Today we posted the last of 3 interviews with Dave. This interview series has been striking to me because he shares candidly with us about the different struggles and dreams he has gone through over the last 17 years since his highly publicized traumatic event.

After tragedy life goes on. How does one pursue faithfulness and not waste it?

You can watch these interviews in iTunes or at our Don't Waste Your Life YouTube channel.

From a recent email:

I'm the Executive Officer of a company stationed in Afghanistan. We are currently engaging with the enemy daily in some form or another. But I am writing to you as a Christian first and a soldier second. We have no chaplain, but one of my platoon leaders has stepped up and has been leading a weekly service.

We're hurting on resources. We need Christ-centered resources that turn us towards the Word and teach us of the joy that Christ longs for us to have in Him. I have been changed by Piper's books, including my favorite, Don't Waste Your Life, and long for others to have the opportunity to benefit in the same way.

Would you please consider sending some resources, such as the Don't Waste Your Life Group Study Kit, or anything else that might lend to weekly group Bible studies and personal devotions? We would appreciate any efforts to help us produce a meaningful Christian library in this small room that is serving as our chapel, as well as a stack that soldiers can read through while serving on our Observation Posts on nearby mountains for a week at a time.

Thanks for your help. Pray that the faith of the believers here would not stagnate and that more would come to know of his wonderful death on the cross!

A shipment of 125 Piper books is on its way to Afghanistan. We’re able to send them because of the generosity of those who sponsor books for the military. Gifts given to “The Army DWYL Sponsorship Program” are used to help distribute books to men and women in the military throughout the world.

At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge.

There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth anniversary of the bridge.

Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died, deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.

All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.

The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.

We prayed during our family devotions. Talitha (11 years old) and Noel and I prayed earnestly for the families affected by the calamity and for the others in our city. Talitha prayed “Please don’t let anyone blame God for this but give thanks that they were saved.” When I sat on her bed and tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago, I said, “You know, Talitha, that was a good prayer, because when people ‘blame’ God for something, they are angry with him, and they are saying that he has done something wrong. That’s what “blame” means: accuse somebody of wrongdoing. But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said, “With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”

Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.” “Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”

I sang to her the song I always sing,

Come rest your head and nestle gently
And do not fear the dark of night.
Almighty God keeps watch intently,
And guards your life with all his might.
Doubt not his love, nor power to keep,
He never fails, nor does he sleep.

I said, “You know, Talitha, that is true whether you die in a bridge collapse, or in a car accident, or from cancer, or terrorism, or old age. God always keeps you, even when you die. So you don’t need to be afraid, do you.” “No,” she shook her head. I leaned down and kissed her. “Good night. I love you.”

Tonight across the Twin Cities families are wondering if they will ever kiss a loved one good night again. Some will not. I am praying that they will find Jesus Christ to be their Rock and Refuge in these agonizing hours of uncertainty and even loss.

The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be two reasons. One is that God doesn’t build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)

Killed all day long. But not separated from Christ. We go through the river. Not over it. He went before us, crucified. He came out on the other side. He knows the way through. With him we will make it. That is the message we have for the precious sinners in the Twin Cities. He died for your sins. He rose again. He saves all who trust him. We die, but because of him, we do not die.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25)

Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because she trusts him. And she will make it through the river.

Weeping with those who weep, and those who should,

Pastor John

Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again.

Desiring God donated some Light & Heat CDs to The Rebelution Tour. Below is an update from Brett Harris.

We just got back from our Dallas/Fort Worth Conference where we distributed 800 "Light & Heat" CD's (one per attendee). The conference was a tremendous success with 42 people coming to Christ, including several parents...

In addition to distributing the "Light & Heat" CD's we have been ordering and selling many of John Piper's books through our conference bookstore. We have been truly blessed by the ministry of Desiring God and are doing what we can to spread the word to our audience.