A Healer’s Geste

Summary: Desiring God by John Piper, Chapters 7-10

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Own.

Money

Thesis: Generosity confirms that our hope is in God and not in ourselves or our money; contentment is true profit.

• Christians ought to be content with simple necessities of life for wartime (missions-focused) efficiency.

Piper rightly never put any specifics on what is or is not ok to buy or have, but the warp and woof of the chapter is that we should do with as little as possible so that we can funnel as much money as possible into foreign (especially unreached peoples) missions. The gist was that if you aren’t giving up all monetary pursuits to work in the missions field, then the whole point of your having a job is to earn money to give to those in the missions field. That missionaries might be supported was the only legitimate use of earnings besides providing for your own “basic needs” that this chapter condoned. I reread it to make sure that was so, and the only caveat I could find was the following:

We need not feel guilty for enjoying the things He gives us. They are given “for enjoyment.” Fasting, celibacy, and other forms of self-denial are right and good in the service of God, but they must not be elevated as the spiritual norm. The provision of nature are given for our good and, by our Godward joy, can become occasions of thanksgiving and worship.

Those two sentences, however, are all we get in 18 pages of admonitions not to accumulate money, not to purchase luxuries, not to spend money on our own comfort.

God is not glorified when we keep for ourselves (no matter how thankfully) what we ought to be using to alleviate the misery of unevangelized, uneducated, unmedicated, and unfed millions. [...] God prospers a business so that thousands of unreached peoples can be reached with the gospel.

Now, it is pretty clear here that Piper is aiming his guns at Christians who tithe not at all or who tithe the American “average” of 2%, but the only other option he provides is living as simply or efficiently as possible and giving all remaining to missions, and he focusses almost exclusively on “Frontier” missions. I just don’t see how those are the only two possible categories.

It was at this chapter that I wondered about and had to look up Piper’s eschatology. Sure enough, he’s premil. There is no room in this chapter for pursuing beauty or building culture, both of which require expenditure. Of course we are to give generously and cheerfully, but I don’t think that needs to be to the exclusion of living in the Promised Land — where milk and honey and oil and wine abound. Amil and postmil say Christ is reigning now, that this world is even now His kingdom, that the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ. So we, the Church, are the fulfillment of all Israel represented, and it will be culminated at the Second Coming. Premil says all this earth is going to burn, that souls are the only, only thing that will count at the Last Day. Postmil (as I am) holds that we are preparing this world for Christ’s return, making it ready as a bride to be presented to her husband. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, and Christ will be at God’s right hand until all enemies are put under His feet. The leaven will slowly work and leaven the whole lump. Your eschatology, what you think will happen to the world, will be evident in your budget. Yes, missions and generosity with the poor (very underrepresented in this chapter) will be a significant part, but so will enjoying the Lord with your increase and yield.

I think Piper had some important points to make in this chapter, especially considering the abominably low tithing average in the church overall, but I felt rather attacked by the chapter. I thought it was too extreme, and put too much pressure on those who do want to be generous and who are generous. Now generous isn’t good enough, it has to be not spending any more than necessary on yourself, and your generosity has to be focused not on the poor in your local area of influence, but the starving third world and the unreached. Helping the poor that you might actually have a relationship with is not even addressed at all.

Marriage

Thesis: In seeking the happiness of the other, you find your own happiness, for the two are one flesh.

This was short and very, very basic complementarian explanation. Amen, and, I admit it, yawn.

Missions

Thesis: Our job is to plant thriving churches in all people groups — it’s a finish-able task and one we need to seriously pursue and accomplish, because it is accomplishable in this generation (we think, according to our charts and graphs).

Again, Piper’s premil eschatology came out. Again, because he wanted to emphasize something, he neglected the balancing and steered too hard the opposite direction. He says that he thinks it’s his job to shock parishioners into waking up from a stupor, but I do not find it compelling. I would rather he present a clear and balanced vision, one that emphasizes that different people are called to different emphases and missions, rather than trying to overcorrect. Yes, Paul was called to preach where the gospel had never been heard. Yes, that is a needed and legitimate calling. No, that is not the only legitimate calling nor the best or most-to-be-sought calling. Piper wants all our happiness in God to funnel toward reaching unreached people groups, and I just don’t see how that must be the necessary conclusion. I will respect and admire him if he says that is the burden of his heart, I will not respect or listen if he says that because that’s his burden, it must be mine. Paul says he planted and another watered. The one who plants is not greater than he who waters and he who waters is not unnecessary or lacking in proper focus.

Suffering

Thesis: Suffering proves that our pleasure is found in Christ’s sufficiency, not in physical comfort or ease or convenience.

• Sufferings sanctify, testify, assure, and glorify. God promised suffering and trial, and that is how He always has and how He does work; He does not promise ease & prosperity. When we suffer, we are weaned from self-sufficiency, we are forced to rely on God, we show the world that hope is found only in God and not in this world, and we focus on our heavenly reward instead of on earthly and worldly pleasures.

• Is there a difference between persecution and illness? Ultimately, no. All are tests of faith, all give us a chance to prove that our hope and sufficiency is in God and not in ourselves or our situation. Did Job know his physical suffering was persecution by Satan? Did it matter? No matter what kind of suffering we face, we suffer for God’s Name’s sake when we rely on Him and show the world that otherwise inexplicable peace and joy and comfort is found in God alone. We also must remember that we can face difficulty with peace because our hope is in the resurrection. Suffering is meaningless and we are most to be pitied if there is no resurrection; it is the hope of heaven and glory of our eternal reward that eclipses the pain of this world and brings us joy set in Christ.

Really, I thought this chapter was worth making it through the book. How trials and sufferings glorify God has always been a difficult question, but Piper handled it clearly and with wisdom, I thought. Also, I have noticed that most suffering that the Bible talks about, that God promises, seems to be persecution-suffering. Does sickness or bad decisions or accidents fall into the same set of promises and assurances? Piper says yes, and I thought his reasoning was convincing and encouraging.