{"id":139,"date":"2011-01-14T13:00:54","date_gmt":"2011-01-14T13:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gallifant.com\/?p=139"},"modified":"2011-10-31T15:58:09","modified_gmt":"2011-10-31T15:58:09","slug":"in-review-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gallifant.com\/in-review-think\/","title":{"rendered":"In Review: Think"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/span>RATING: \"\"<\/h3>\n

\u201cThinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God,\u201d writes John Piper in his book Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God<\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cNow, wait a minute,\u201d you might say, \u201cthinking?\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t we slip just about any number of words as being \u2018indispensible on the path to passion for God\u2019?\u00a0 Why does thinking get precedence?\u201d\u00a0 Should this be your concern, I would reply back, \u201cGood question!\u201d<\/p>\n

The reason thinking is so paramount \u201con the path to passion for God\u201d is because thinking is fundamental to obeying the Great Commandment: to love God and love people.\u00a0 Piper clarifies this idea, which he repeats throughout the book, beautifully: \u201cloving God with the mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things<\/em>\u201d (19).\u00a0 Thus, thinking is not an end in itself, but a means to stir holistic affections for Jesus.<\/p>\n

Think<\/em> not only caused me to think; it gave me room to feel okay about thinking.\u00a0 Piper clarified so much in my mind about how to view thinking and approach it.\u00a0 Too many Christians are trapped in a life of \u201ceither-or,\u201d <\/em>as Piper calls it.\u00a0 They think that either they should spend time in devout prayer or spend time reading and studying.\u00a0 But this is a false dichotomy.\u00a0 It should be both-and<\/em>.\u00a0 Paul puts this plainly, \u201cThink over what I say, for<\/em> the Lord will give you understanding in everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Altogether, there is little I disliked about this book.\u00a0 Chapter 13 on scholarship has a misleading title, as it applies to non-scholars as well.\u00a0 Piper hits a home run in Think.<\/em>\u00a0 His six-page conclusion is alone worth the price of the book.\u00a0 I will undoubtedly come back and back again to this book.<\/p>\n

RECOMMENDATION:<\/h3>\n

Intellectual or anti-intellectual, reader or non-reader, thinker or feeler, this book will encourage, challenge, and awaken faith and love towards God and others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

GET IT NOW:<\/strong><\/h3>\n