I highly recommend "Forever" for everyone to read whether or not you are currently struggling with something. Why? Because you have in your past, and you're guaranteed to in the future as long as you're here on earth. The truths that are spoken of in this book will help you to know how to have the best perspective possible to help you make it through any and every difficulty you will ever face in your life.
(For the glory of God and for your good)!
The description of this book on the back cover says, "The Bible assures us that God has placed eternity in our hearts. It tells us we are created for pleasure, wired for joy- all with God at the center. But in a world that is broken and suffering, it's easy to forget this, living instead with a pack-it-all-in mentality, loading up the here and now with expectations that will only be fulfilled in eternity.
Fortunately, we don't have to live frustrating, disappointing lives. Instead, we can take heart, realizing that life doesn't feel right because it isn't right. It's not meant to be- not yet anyway.
Paul David Tripp points out that having an eternity perspective will enable us to live for something bigger than ourselves and larger than this moment. No longer trapped in the shrunken kingdom of "right here, right now," we will be able to lead lives of greater significance and peace."
Without eternity, Christianity makes no sense. Read 1 Corinthians 15(specifically verses 12-19)...Verse 19 says that, "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."
In closing of my blog post, I've typed up just a portion of the chapter from this book that I was reading today on my lunch break...Just to give you more of a taste of the book.
"The world we live in is a broken place not operating as it was designed to operate. In case you hadn't noticed, people are less than perfect. Add to this the fact that God has planned for us to live right where we are living so that we would be made ready for what comes next. For these reasons, we will not live lives where we are able to get from point A to point B unobstructed. This means that, in the here and now, we had better have a grander motivation when we get up in the morning than the hope that our day will be predictable, easy, and relatively free of hassle. Eternity gives us that kind of big-picture motivation. We stay focused on doing what is good, right, and true, not because in the short term it appears to be working, but because our living in the here and now fits with the big plan of what God is doing and where He is taking us. In the face of hassles, we tell ourselves that this is not our final destination. We constantly reassure ourselves with the reality that we are on our way to a place where there will be no more sin, suffering, chaos, confusion, hurt, brokenness, or disappointment. But if this life is all there is, and this isn't working, then what motivation do I have to continue? I have to have something bigger than me against the world. That's why Paul(In 1 Corinthians 15) ends his discussion of the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of life after death the way he does. Paul knows that in conquering death, Jesus has not only purchased for us the guarantee of life after death, but also the reality of life before death, a quality of life that wouldn't be possible apart from the new life and the resurrection of Jesus delivered."
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