Did you ever wonder what the crown jewel of the Christian experience is? Or to put it another way, as Pastor John Piper shares, just what is the treasure of your life? My friends, there can be no greater treasure in life than to glorify God in everything we do. For when our highest motive is to glorify God, we unleash amazing joy, deep intimacy with God, and accrue an eternal weight of glory into our lives!
John Piper contrasts what we can expect to experience when we choose to elevate God’s glory above all else in our lives beautifully as follows: “When the glory of God is the treasure of our lives, we will not layup treasures on earth, but spend them for the spread of his glory. We will not covet, but overflow with liberality. We will not crave the praise of men, but forget ourselves in praising God. We will not be mastered by sinful, sensual pleasures, but sever their root by the power of a superior promise. We will not nurse a wounded ego or cherish a grudge or nurture a vengeful spirit, but will hand over our cause to God and bless those who hate us. Every sin flows from the failure to treasure the glory of God above all things.”1
What an awesome quote! I especially love when Pastor Piper shared: “We will not crave the praise of men, but forget ourselves in praising God.” Yes, it is nice to receive praises from people, but this cannot compare with getting lost in spending time in praising Jesus. And why should we praise the Lord? Well, first, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Second, He allows us to meditate on (Psalm 16:11): “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Third, even in a world of sin, pain, and suffering, even if we can’t understand the why of our trials, God promises us eternal bliss and a glorified body once we hit the celestial shores of heaven and the new Earth. And fourth, praising Christ and always having a thankful heart will add years to your earthly life!
And like the merchant in (Matthew 13:45-46), who when he found one pearl of great price, sold all that he had and bought it, we should use our greatest treasure for the glory of God. Spending our time, talents, and treasury to spread the glory of God – what can be more wonderful, for we were created for this!
1 Quote by John Piper: “When the glory of God is the treasure of our li…”