In his Introduction to Living in the Light – Money, Sex & Power, John Piper made a few very insightful observations. “God did not conceive and create money, sex, and power simply to be a temptation. He had good purposes in mind. Money, sex, and power exist for the great aims of God in human history. They are not detours on the path of God-exalting joy. Along with all the rest of God’s good world they are the path. With them we can show the supreme worth of God.” He goes on to say, “All of creation was meant to communicate the supreme beauty and worth of God. God created the world for his glory. He created the world so that he would be magnified by the way his creatures find their greatest satisfaction in him. Money, sex, and power exists ultimately to show that God is more to be desired than money, sex, and power. That is paradoxically how they become most satisfying in themselves. All of this was ruined by the fall – by the first great folly of exchanging God for other things. When God is restored as the supreme value of the human heart, money, sex, and power begin to find their God-glorifying place in life. Everything hangs on what we value as supreme. What is our highest treasure? What is our greatest satisfaction?”[i]
Therein lies the conundrum. What is taking the place of God in our heart? Even money, sex, and power have their place, but not as a priority over our relationship with God. He’ll order the rest of His good gifts.
And that’s the memo.
By Steve Adams
[i] John Piper, Living in the Light Money Sex & Power, pgs.9-12
