The Unwasted Life

This is a great series of sermons John Piper gave at the 2008 Regional Conference on "The Essence of the Unwasted Life"

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByConference/40/


I've only listened to the first of these so far, but it was one of those sermons where the Spirit of God opened up my eyes and heart to catch a glimpse of the way things really are. What does an unwasted life look like? Piper points to Paul's plea in Philippians 1:20-21 as our template for such a life:

"...as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. "

As Piper declares, this is the definition of an unwasted life, that in all that we do, all that we are, Christ will be exalted, lifted up and honored. The implications on your life are earth-shattering. How different would we live if we asked questions like:

• How can I use my money to show that Christ is infinitely more valuable than my money?
• How do I treat my career to exalt Christ as far more valuable than my career?
• How do I take care of my body to show Christ is of the greatest value?
• How do I treat my house and possessions to demonstrate Christ is infinitely more precious?
• How do I enteract with people, friends and family to "magnify" the magnificence of Christ?
  

In the unwasted life, Christ becomes the chief goal and desire, and all other things become a means for lifting Him up. If I were honest today, though, I would have to admit that I far too often make Christ a means to my own version of heaven (new house, wealth, success, perfect church) rather than an end. To make Him a means, which is the norm for the American "prosperity gospel" philosophy, completely misses the point that nothing in this world even compares to Christ in worth. Nothing.