Have you ever felt a tension in your faith? You sense a quiet, internal war between the duties you feel you should perform and the delights your heart truly craves.
What if that war is based on a false premise? What if your deepest, most authentic pleasure is the very thing God requires of you?
This is the paradigm-shattering argument of John Piper’s classic work, Desiring God. He names it Christian Hedonism, a philosophy built on one foundational truth: God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- Piper, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
You might find the premise startling. You might even find it scandalous. Piper understands this and relentlessly builds his case from the bedrock of Scripture, demonstrating that the pursuit of your maximum joy in God is essential to truly honoring Him.
He leaves no stone unturned. You will see this powerful idea applied to every corner of your existence, showing you the profound implications for your conversion, your worship, your love for others, and your relationship with money.
The journey continues into the most intimate and difficult parts of life. Piper explores how desiring God reshapes marriage, fuels missions, and gives profound meaning to your suffering.
This book is an invitation. It beckons you to approach God with a hedonist’s abandon, freeing you to enjoy Jesus as your all-surpassing, soul-satisfying Treasure.
Prepare yourself. Desiring God may turn your Christian world upside down, reorienting everything you thought you knew about duty and delight. And that will be a very good thing.
Who Will Benefit the Most from This Book?
Believers Feeling Spiritually Dry
This book is a wellspring for the believer whose spiritual life feels stagnant or routine. Piper’s work reignites a passion for God, transforming a sense of duty into a profound, soul-satisfying delight.
Pastors and Small Group Leaders
With its rich theological framework and included study guide, this book serves as an invaluable resource for teaching. It equips leaders to guide others into a deeper, more joyful understanding of glorifying God.
New Christians Building Their Foundation
New followers of Jesus will find a life-altering perspective that shapes their entire walk with Christ from the beginning. It establishes that the pursuit of God is the pursuit of ultimate happiness.
The Theologically-Minded Student
This book offers a robust, scripturally-grounded exploration of “Christian Hedonism.” It will challenge and sharpen the student who craves deep doctrinal truth and its radical implications for every area of life.
What Do Readers Think About Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist?
Readers describe John Piper’s classic work as profoundly impactful and revolutionary. The book is celebrated for reshaping their understanding of joy and its place in the Christian walk.
Many found its central premise—that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him—to be a powerful revelation.
I was finally able to see that my joy and His glory were not at odds… This book destroyed the notion in my mind that God was only interested in Himself as opposed to my joy.
For some, this new perspective was nothing short of life-changing.
As cliche as it may sound, this book changed my life… John piper effectively backs up all his opinions with scripture and firm doctrine.
The book is also praised for providing practical instruction for a concept many believers have heard but struggled to apply.
It’s amazing that I, who’ve been a professing Christian for 26 years… no one ever provided practical, day to day, useful and useable instructions on how to this, until I read this book.
This guidance offers readers a rich and fulfilling experience.
This book is a treasure chest of Gospel promise and eternal joy that your heart and soul will deeply appreciate.
Ultimately, readers found the book to be a compelling read that challenged their core beliefs.
Few books have shaken my preconceptions as this one has. For those willing to give the Bible a read and see what it says, this book is a great guide to the fundamental purpose and truths contained therein.
5 Things You Will Take Away
You will unite your duty and your delight.
John Piper reveals that glorifying God and enjoying Him are the same mission. You will discover that pursuing maximum satisfaction in God is your highest calling and most profound act of worship.
You will gain a bigger, more glorious vision of God.
This book grounds your joy in the bedrock of God’s own happiness and sovereignty. You will understand that God’s ultimate devotion to His own glory is the very foundation for your everlasting pleasure in Him.
You will redefine worship as heartfelt enjoyment.
Worship becomes an act of authentic affection, the natural overflow of a heart satisfied in God. You will be freed to approach God with the abandon of a hedonist, finding Him to be your all-surpassing Treasure.
You will apply this truth to every part of your life.
Piper demonstrates how finding your treasure in God revolutionizes your approach to everything from prayer and marriage to money and missions. Your daily decisions will be reoriented around the soul-satisfying pursuit of joy in Christ.
You will find purpose and even joy in your suffering.
Desiring God provides a profound framework for understanding affliction. You will see how your deepest trials can become showcases for the supreme worth of Christ, producing a resilient and authentic joy.
Who is John Piper?
John Piper is the founder and senior teacher of desiringGod.org. He also serves as chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For thirty-three years, he faithfully pastored Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, shaping a generation with his commitment to God’s glory.
A prolific author, Piper has penned more than fifty books that challenge and encourage believers. His vast collection of sermons and teachings, spanning over three decades, is offered free of charge to the world through desiringGod.org. He and his wife, Noël, have five children and fourteen grandchildren.
Where Can I Buy the Book?
Experience the lifelong pleasures of knowing God. John Piper’s paradigm-shattering work, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, reveals why pursuing maximum joy is essential to glorifying God. This modern classic is available on Amazon. Click the link below and read more about the book.
- Piper, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
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