The human heart is always seeking after satisfaction. To this end, people invest their lives in sports, entertainment, and their careers—seeking for meaning, purpose, and for validation. While doing one’s job with excellence is important as is having hobbies, above all of that is the threat that we make these things in our lives ultimate things instead of setting them in the light of God’s sovereignty. Since we’re all creatures who are worshipping something or someone, we need to have our lives reoriented around a vision of the glory of God. This is why I enjoyed Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think, Say, and Do by Paul David Tripp.
This book in thirteen chapters looks at humanity, war, ministry, replacement, amnesia, transgressions, complaint, materialism, growth, worldview, church, parenting, and work. The most interesting chapters to me were on ministry, growth, church, and worldview.
In chapter three on ministry, Tripp notes, “We minister to people who are hardwired for awe, who have lost their awe, and who need awe given back to them again, so that they will not only live in awe of god but will pass that awe down to the generation that follows. Think about it” (46). He also notes, “Awe of God puts you in your place in ministry, and it will keep you there. Once you know who God is and rightly assess who you are, you will be able to minister with humility, hope, and courage” (49).
Chapter eleven on worldview was particularly helpful here, Tripp notes, “Isaiah 40 is not comfort literature; it’s worldview literature. These words only provide comfort because of the radical, amazing, awe-inspiring, worldview that they put forth. When you begin to understand, believe, and live in light of the awesome glory that Isaiah 40 reveals, you have reason to be comforted no matter what you happen to be facing at the moment” (136).
Awe: Why It Matters For Everything We Think Say, and Do is a very helpful book that will help every Christian to orient their lives around what truly matters, God and living for His glory. This comprehensive examination that this book provides will help you to explore your life from God’s perspective and stir your affections for the gospel. I recommend this book and believe that by reading it, you’ll be blessed, challenged, and equipped to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
