Book #62: The Things of Earth by Joe Rigney
The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts by Joe Rigney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Bible urges Christians to seek heavenly things rather than earthly things, but what does this mean in practice?
While very theologically heavy, this book does a really good job of setting out the Biblical message about earthly things, and disspelling a few myths. First off, liking earthly things, which are part of God's creation isn't a sin, as long as you're not elevating them above God. This quote he gives from John Piper (who also wrote the foreword) sums up this message perfectly:
"If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"
Secondly, you shouldn't feel guilty about your posessions if you happen to be well off, but give thanks to God for His provision.
Author Joe Rigney is a father, and I liked how he provided his own perspective on how he takes up his position as "head of the household"; I also liked the fact that he used a lot of humour to illustrate his points, always good in a Christian book where the subject matter can feel onerous.
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