--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a warning. The path of…" description: "\"There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png" --- # There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost… ![“There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” In other words, it is better to lose your life than to waste it. If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your…” quote by John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png) > “There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” In other words, it is better to lose your life than to waste it. If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full. This is not a book about how to avoid a wounded life, but how to avoid a wasted life. Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.” [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sacrificing one's life for Christ brings true fulfillment, while valuing life over Christ is tragic. **In simple terms:** Giving life for Christ yields joy; valuing self is tragic. Key Takeaway Prioritize spiritual purpose over self‑preservation. Themes faith sacrifice purpose Mood serious inspirational Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - missionary work - hospital work - dangerous ministries - personal decisions Key Concepts theology eternal perspective Questions to Reflect On - What does a "wasted life" look like? - How can one balance sacrifice with self‑care? A Different Perspective Risk of neglecting personal safety and relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Warning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warning/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [Wasted life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasted-life/) [Wounded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounded/) ## Related quotes > [The gospel is not for you who can save yourselves, but for those who are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-gospel-is-not-for-you-who-can-save-yourselves-but-for-those-who/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [It is better to lose your life than to waste it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/it-is-better-to-lose-your-life-than-to-waste-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-wasted-life-is-the-life-without-a-passion-for-the-supremacy-of/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/treasuring-life-above-christ-is-a-tragedy/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“God created me---and you---to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion----namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/god-created-me-and-you-to-live-with-a-single-all-embracing-all/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all spheres of life. The wasted life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/god-created-us-to-live-with-a-single-passion-to-joyfully-display-his/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/some-of-you-will-die-in-the-service-of-christ-that-will-not-be-a/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Enjoying and displaying are both crucial. The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/enjoying-and-displaying-are-both-crucial-the-wasted-life-is-the-life/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [I would sell my life to avoid the pain that begins in the crib with its bars or perhaps with your first breath when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/i-would-sell-my-life-to-avoid-the-pain-that-begins-in-the-crib-with/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [“Don't live your life in fear thinking that you will disappoint everyone. Always remember that not everyone will agree with the things you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-m-edwards/don-t-live-your-life-in-fear-thinking-that-you-will-disappoint/) [Marcia M Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-m-edwards/) > [In real life, when I can avoid anything stressful, I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derren-brown/in-real-life-when-i-can-avoid-anything-stressful-i-do/) [Derren Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derren-brown/) > [At the intersection's of life, avoid what-ifs and whens prove your talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/at-the-intersection-s-of-life-avoid-what-ifs-and-whens-prove-your/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) > [Mistakes are a part of life; you can't avoid them. All you can hope is that they won't be too expensive and that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/mistakes-are-a-part-of-life-you-can-t-avoid-them-all-you-can-hope-is/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Some refuse the loan of life to avoid the debt of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-rank/some-refuse-the-loan-of-life-to-avoid-the-debt-of-death/) [Otto Rank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-rank/) > [I think failure is just a part of life. You can't avoid it in anything. I just accept it as a part of life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniella-alonso/i-think-failure-is-just-a-part-of-life-you-can-t-avoid-it-in-anything/) [Daniella Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniella-alonso/) ## More by John Piper > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The Spirit inspired the Word and therefore He goes where the Word goes. The more of God's Word you know and love, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-spirit-inspired-the-word-and-therefore-he-goes-where-the-word/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Do you feel loved by God because you believe he makes much of you, or because you believe he frees you and empowers you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/do-you-feel-loved-by-god-because-you-believe-he-makes-much-of-you-or/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/worship-is-missions-exists-because-worship-doesn-t-worship-is/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Love is doing what will enthrall the beloved with the greatest and longest joy. What will enthrall the beloved this way is the glory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/love-is-doing-what-will-enthrall-the-beloved-with-the-greatest-and/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“If you hold a grudge, you doubt the Judge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/if-you-hold-a-grudge-you-doubt-the-judge/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Evangelicals are distraught over the state of America because they have not been taught that we're aliens here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/evangelicals-are-distraught-over-the-state-of-america-because-they/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Worship is the highest moral act a human can perform, so the only basis and motivation for it that many people can conceive is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/worship-is-the-highest-moral-act-a-human-can-perform-so-the-only/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Do you love the cross because it makes much of you? Or do you love it because it enables you to enjoy and eternity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/do-you-love-the-cross-because-it-makes-much-of-you-or-do-you-love-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“job 14:1 man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of troubles "If that isn't your experience now it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/job-14-1-man-who-is-born-of-a-woman-is-few-of-days-and-full-of/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Not to aim to show God is not to love, bc God is what we need the most deeply. And to have all else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/not-to-aim-to-show-god-is-not-to-love-bc-god-is-what-we-need-the-most/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/god-has-given-us-prayer-as-a-wartime-walkie-talkie-so-that-we-can/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Ignatius, when he heard the clock strike, would say, "Now I have another hour to answer for." (Eph. 5:16)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/ignatius-when-he-heard-the-clock-strike-would-say-now-i-have-another/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) [Explore all 803 John Piper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” In other words, it is better to lose your life than to waste it. If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full. This is not a book about how to avoid a wounded life, but how to avoid a wasted life. Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Piper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalting-joy-will-cost-you-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalting-joy-will-cost-you-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/john-piper-255_book_there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalt_473048.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his…” — John Piper", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Piper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is a warning. The path...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalting-joy-will-cost-you-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/there-is-a-warning-the-path-of-god-exalting-joy-will-cost-you-your/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```