Recently, I have started reading “Desiring God” by John Piper. I have found it packed with thought provoking insights and ideas. My hope is to blog some of Piper’s ideas that I find interesting.In the first chapter of the book, titled “The Happiness of God,” Piper discusses the idea that God’s enjoyment is in himself. He states that God, delights in His own works and glory. Piper goes further to say that “God is uppermost in [God’s] affections.” This means that God also delights in the praises of his people. In fact, God commands his redeemed to praise him (2 Thessalonians 1:10, Ephesians 1:4-6 and Ephesians 1:12). But what exactly is praise?
Piper argues that praise occurs when we find something to be beautiful or excellent. Think about what you praise in your life? He then references C.S. Lewis to further his point. Lewis says that praise completes enjoyment. We naturally want to praise what we find excellent or beautiful because it completes our enjoyment of that thing.
So if praise is what completes our enjoyment of something, than God’s command to praise Him is a command to find our joy full in himself. He wants us to find pleasure in himself. This idea seems to be the basis of Piper’s book. Piper encourages his readers to become Christian Hedonists. He says that the problem with humans is not that they love pleasures, but that they settle for earthly pleasures that pale in comparison to the pleasure that God provides in himself.
Hopefully more to come as I get further into the book… any thoughts?
