John Piper: Don’t waste your cancer

I’m coming out of my cave for a quick peek at the blogosphere and I’ve certainly missed a lot.  The Danish Cartoons, the Colorado’s Reciprocal Beneficiary Contracts bill, ice dirtier than toilet water — a lot alot I’ve missed.

But there is something I do want to share that I found so encouraging from one of my favorite bible teachers, John Piper.  As many of you know Piper was diagnosed with cancer and thankfully healed through a new surgical procedure for his type of cancer, that took place on Feb 14th, 2006.  On the eve of his surgery he writes a profound article that does a play on his book, “Don’t Waste Your Life” and titles his article, “Don’t waste your cancer.“  He lists 10 things you can do to waste your cancer but I want to point out two that I found very sobering in regards to how I think about death.

4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.

We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” How can you lay it to heart if you won’t think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.

5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.

Satan’s and God’s designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God’s design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And to know that therefore, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).

To live is Christ and to die is gain!  It’s hard to think of such diseases as designed by God.  However thinking about it in terms of Satan’s design and God’s design is sobering.  For Christians, our physical death is what ushers us into the presence of Christ!

Please read and pass along to friends who may be struggling with cancer.