christian hedonism via furniture world?

Working at the family furniture store, I get to read a lot of furniture magazines. Some of them are quite enjoyable (if you like reading about mattress marketing techniques and the latest in fabric lawsuits.)

One magazine that consistently puts out good information is Furniture World. Their latest issue has a column written by The Traffic Guys: Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap. I've seen their ads for years in the magazines we get...but I think this is my first time reading an article they've written.

I was struck in the opening paragraphs by the hedonsitic nature that they cling to in order to make effective advertisements. Read this and tell me if it sounds familiar:

Indeed, as you think about why you buy anything, take any action, or move in a specific direction, you will probably find that it's for one reason and one reason only...your own self-interest.

... For most people, if they stop on the side of the road and help a stranger who's car is out of gas, that's not self interest right?

Well, why do we (with the exception of saints and bodhisattvas) do such a thing in the first place? Of course we stop because we want to help, but deep down it's because helping that person is going to make us feel better, it's going to do something for us emotionally. Plus, not stopping is going to make us feel guilty.

So deep down, whether it's to make us feel good or avoid feeling of guilt, we are doing those things that will ultimately serve us.

These guys are serious about using this drive to get people in the doors of stores...and another fellow is serious about this drive in the world of Christendom.

John Piper has coined the phrase "Christian Hedonism" to help us understand that it is not bad to want to be joyful in something, but the only thing that can make us truly joyful and happy is Jesus Christ.

In his own words, "We all make a god out of what we take the most pleasure in. Christian Hedonists want to make God their God by seeking after the greatest pleasure—-pleasure in him."

Now, whether or not the Traffic Guys are Christians...I have no idea. But I do know that their idea of what drives people is well-known and can be used to make God look glorious.

Take pleasure in Christ and Him alone and become a Christian Hedonist today.

-joe

desiring God

despite the fact that I'm a self-proclaimed piper fanatic, i'd never actually read the book that gave his site its name: Desiring God

I began reading it the last couple of days and man, what a joy in my life that i've never been able to express before. already i feel more free in Christ. already i have more joy. already i desire God more.

i highly recommend picking it up. here's the book link: Desiring God

youtube

here's a video with mark driscoll and john piper talking about the authority of Scripture and the need for Biblical preaching. these ideas will be prominent at the resurgence conference this next year.




-joe

too much thinking

you are probably sick of all these posts lately, but man...i just can't help but do it. i read so much good stuff. God is working mightily within me...convicting me, mostly... like with this little diddy from good ol' Piper, from a sermon preached back on april 8, 1984:

Evasive Irrationality

Now watch the universal reflex of a person trying to avoid conviction. She has to admit in v. 19 that Jesus has extraordinary insight ("You're a prophet!"), but instead of dealing with her guilt, she tries to suck Jesus into an academic controversy: "O, so you're a prophet, well, where do you stand on the issue of where people ought to worship?" Verse 20: "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you [Jews] say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." A trapped animal will chew his own leg off. A trapped sinner will mangle his own mind and rip up the rules of logic and discourse. "Why, yes, as long as we're speaking about my five husbands and my adultery, what is your stance on the issue of where people should worship?" Brothers and sisters, that kind of double-talk and evasive, verbal footwork is very common. And texts like this incline me to think that wherever I hear it, someone is hiding something. If your conscience is clean, reason can hold sway; if it's not, you will be instinctively irrational.

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I do that. when i get all irrational in arguments. when i get annoyed that someone has brought up a good point, i try to sway the conversation because i don't want them to see my weakness on the point. thank you john, for bringing this truth to my mind. thanks to God the Father, who allowed my heart to be open to this. who didn't let me try to sway from the conviction of the Spirit.

-joe