heartoflesh
Puritan Board Junior
I'm not sure if this has already been posted, and I apologize if it has. This is the latest from John Piper on his cancer. I believe his surgery is today, 2-16-06.
Don't Waste Your Cancer
Don't Waste Your Cancer
Don't Waste Your Cancer
- Thread starter heartoflesh
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alwaysreforming
Puritan Board Sophomore
Just read it!
Very good. In fact, I'm emailing it to some friends of mine who seem to know so many people with cancer. Maybe they can pass on this great spiritual teaching.
Very good. In fact, I'm emailing it to some friends of mine who seem to know so many people with cancer. Maybe they can pass on this great spiritual teaching.
Very helpful.
panta dokimazete
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
magnificent...
Puritanhead
Puritan Board Professor
"You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift."
I like John Piper but come shy of giving this article an enthuisastic thumbs up. While he makes some good points here and there, I don't find the tenor of some statements very appealing. It sounds peaceful and confident for someone in a battle against cancer to say them, but I don't see how anyone can think of cancer as a "gift."
My mother has been fighting non-hodgkins lymphoma for six years, and is passed the life expectancy the medical doctors originally gave her... (As a matter of fact, she outlived her doctor who died of cancer.) I assure you that cancer is NOT a "gift"... and nothing will ever change my mind about it, not even the most pious, sobering tale of a cancer survivor who insists it is a "gift." Though, I readily concede God can and does use the affliction for His purposes nonetheless. Fighting a terminal disease does deepen an eternal perspective, but I see nothing wrong with wanting to beat cancer and live, if only for one's family... that we should focus on faith and seek God is admitted.
In Nazi Germany, when the Allies liberated the prison camps, they find shattered souls that were barely alive, starved and eviscerated. Some just muttered nihilistic thoughts, they were unresponsive, not even willing to accept food and they just stared at the wall. Not suprisingly, they never adjusted-- they just died shortly thereafter despite medical attention. Then there were survivors in the same eviscerated shape, but they welcomed the liberators, and they resolved to live. The later wanted their life back. I'm not going to sound overly Stoic about the power of mind and will. God appoints a time for every man to die. Nonetheless, of those shattered minds who just threw in the towel, most died shortly thereafter. Those that wanted life, held onto it, and they lived. (A few survivors colloborate that summation, not just me.) In my mind, that zeal for life should be the attitude of the person with cancer... not resignation, but a zeal for life, and a resolve to beat cancer. Because, of our limited strength, I would summon the providence of Jehovah-Rophe in that fight against cancer.
I like John Piper but come shy of giving this article an enthuisastic thumbs up. While he makes some good points here and there, I don't find the tenor of some statements very appealing. It sounds peaceful and confident for someone in a battle against cancer to say them, but I don't see how anyone can think of cancer as a "gift."
My mother has been fighting non-hodgkins lymphoma for six years, and is passed the life expectancy the medical doctors originally gave her... (As a matter of fact, she outlived her doctor who died of cancer.) I assure you that cancer is NOT a "gift"... and nothing will ever change my mind about it, not even the most pious, sobering tale of a cancer survivor who insists it is a "gift." Though, I readily concede God can and does use the affliction for His purposes nonetheless. Fighting a terminal disease does deepen an eternal perspective, but I see nothing wrong with wanting to beat cancer and live, if only for one's family... that we should focus on faith and seek God is admitted.
In Nazi Germany, when the Allies liberated the prison camps, they find shattered souls that were barely alive, starved and eviscerated. Some just muttered nihilistic thoughts, they were unresponsive, not even willing to accept food and they just stared at the wall. Not suprisingly, they never adjusted-- they just died shortly thereafter despite medical attention. Then there were survivors in the same eviscerated shape, but they welcomed the liberators, and they resolved to live. The later wanted their life back. I'm not going to sound overly Stoic about the power of mind and will. God appoints a time for every man to die. Nonetheless, of those shattered minds who just threw in the towel, most died shortly thereafter. Those that wanted life, held onto it, and they lived. (A few survivors colloborate that summation, not just me.) In my mind, that zeal for life should be the attitude of the person with cancer... not resignation, but a zeal for life, and a resolve to beat cancer. Because, of our limited strength, I would summon the providence of Jehovah-Rophe in that fight against cancer.
panta dokimazete
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I think John Piper really understands:
Philippians 1 (English Standard Version)
19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1 (English Standard Version)
19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
heartoflesh
Puritan Board Junior
I think I understand what you're saying here, Ryan, as far as things that go against our sensibilities? I often ask myself if I really have to "rejoice in all things" even when those things include grievous trials, or whether "all things work together for good", etc. From my fleshly perspective they certainly don't seem good, or rejoice-worthy, or "gifts", even if they really are.
Puritanhead
Puritan Board Professor
Well, I can acquiesce with points 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 without qualification.
heartoflesh
Puritan Board Junior
I really do understand your point, Ryan. It would have been helpful if Piper would have mentioned something about the 'other side of the coin'. Not getting complacent, not using providence as an excuse not to fight, to truly fight and to look at cancer as the disease which it truly is.
BTW, I believe Piper is fighting this thing with everything he's got. I think he just naturally gravitates towards defending the sovereignty issue above other things.
[Edited on 2-16-2006 by Rick Larson]
BTW, I believe Piper is fighting this thing with everything he's got. I think he just naturally gravitates towards defending the sovereignty issue above other things.
[Edited on 2-16-2006 by Rick Larson]
Whilst i share Ryan's reservations about point number 2, i am touched by the godliness and eternity centredness it must take to write such an article.
Regarding cancer as i 'gift' i think prehaps i would be better to say that because of the soverignity of our loving heavenly father we can find good even in curses of this sinful world, as opposed to calling cancer a 'gift' outright.
Regarding cancer as i 'gift' i think prehaps i would be better to say that because of the soverignity of our loving heavenly father we can find good even in curses of this sinful world, as opposed to calling cancer a 'gift' outright.
SolaScriptura
Puritanboard Brimstone
My, what God-centered words our brother John has given to us!
As many of you may recall, my mother died on July 26, 2005, of breast cancer... she had been diagnosed just 8 months prior and until early June of 2005 things were looking fairly good... then the bottom fell out. My mom was a Christian and she died praising Jesus, but I wonder how much more her joy would have been increased if these words had been able to be read by her.
I pray when I come to the point where the end of my earthly life seems to be at hand that I would have the the same God entranced view of everything as our brother John.
As many of you may recall, my mother died on July 26, 2005, of breast cancer... she had been diagnosed just 8 months prior and until early June of 2005 things were looking fairly good... then the bottom fell out. My mom was a Christian and she died praising Jesus, but I wonder how much more her joy would have been increased if these words had been able to be read by her.
I pray when I come to the point where the end of my earthly life seems to be at hand that I would have the the same God entranced view of everything as our brother John.
heartoflesh
Puritan Board Junior
Ben,
Thanks. I didn't know your Mom died last year. I'm sorry. I'm just glad death is a conquered enemy but it's still an enemy and I'm sorry you had to go through that pain.
Puritanhead
Puritan Board Professor
Well, I think the only way to fight cancer is in God's strength. I know it is a lot easier said than done to rejoice in trials and tribulations.... I don't always do it, but that is what grace is for. Yet, I affirm God commands us to. Job is a tough book to swallow.
I just think Christians should avoid conflating Romans 8:28 and calling the hardship of a terminal illness a "gift." For the sake of argument, if some criminal murdered me, I hope one could come up with better counsel for my grieving family than saying that act or my death was a "gift." I don't think it is that ridiculous of an analogy.
Eternally our destination is set as believers in Christ. And if God be for us who can be against us. Terminal illness may have the effect of waking up a whole family to an eternal perspective, and yes God can and does actively use those things in our lives to deepen our spirituality.
I just think Christians should avoid conflating Romans 8:28 and calling the hardship of a terminal illness a "gift." For the sake of argument, if some criminal murdered me, I hope one could come up with better counsel for my grieving family than saying that act or my death was a "gift." I don't think it is that ridiculous of an analogy.
Eternally our destination is set as believers in Christ. And if God be for us who can be against us. Terminal illness may have the effect of waking up a whole family to an eternal perspective, and yes God can and does actively use those things in our lives to deepen our spirituality.
I know this is somewhat old, but I just read these posts.
When Piper says that cancer is a gift, I think this is essentially what it means. All of us deserve judgment and damnation from God because of our sin. We do not deserve ANYTHING good from God. Piper sees it as arrogant to believe that we actually deserve anything that is good from God. Hence, ALL things that come to us in this life are mercy, mercy, mercy. When bad things come into our life, we should not grumble or complain, but we should see it as grace and mercy. Hence, cancer should be seen as a gift because mercy is all that we get from God because of Christ's work.
At least that is partly what he means when he says that cancer is a gift.
When Piper says that cancer is a gift, I think this is essentially what it means. All of us deserve judgment and damnation from God because of our sin. We do not deserve ANYTHING good from God. Piper sees it as arrogant to believe that we actually deserve anything that is good from God. Hence, ALL things that come to us in this life are mercy, mercy, mercy. When bad things come into our life, we should not grumble or complain, but we should see it as grace and mercy. Hence, cancer should be seen as a gift because mercy is all that we get from God because of Christ's work.
At least that is partly what he means when he says that cancer is a gift.
A central lesson of the book of Job is this:
If you belong to God redemptively, then everything you receive from his hand is by defintion, a blessing from him to you, and intended to benefit you in a way that maximizes his own glory and your spiritual interest rate.
If you belong to God redemptively, then everything you receive from his hand is by defintion, a blessing from him to you, and intended to benefit you in a way that maximizes his own glory and your spiritual interest rate.
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