Do you think about living forever? How many decisions did you make this week with this perspective in mind? I venture to say very few, if any, because either the here and now overwhelm us or we do not believe there is life after death; therefore, we don’t think about forever. The tyranny of the urgent has become our lifestyle. Seeking solutions to problems beyond our control, coping with a sudden crisis, or trying to maintain an ideal lifestyle has become a nightmare due largely to our mindset that life exists only for this present life. Therefore, we are driven to cram everything into our remaining years and we live without hope.
Our “earthly” world and life view truncates that for which we are wired: forever. We think only of this earthly span of our lives, and do not think, believe, live, or plan for our lives after death. Why? Because somewhere, “forever” faded from our philosophy of life, and we have become obsessed with what the author called a “destination mentality” instead of a “preparation mentality.” The “destination mentality” is that this present life is all there is and we have to do it all now. As Tripp points out, forever has been stolen and we struggle to live without this vital perspective.
Forever: Why You Can’t Live Without It brings us back to a “preparation mentality,” the reality of what forever means in God’s perspective. We were not created to live without it and doing so is like putting a puzzle together and always finding a piece missing so the puzzle can never be completed. Life without forever is not God’s plan. “He responds to us with eternity in view, and he will not quit until this time of preparation has given way to the final destination.” We were created to live forever and the present is preparatory for the future.
Forever is a book that impacts your approach to life, marriage, circumstances, etc., everything that touches your life in terms of eternity. It encourages the reader to examine expectations in relationships. It is a very practical book simply because of the way Tripp writes and how he brings the perspective of eternity into how we live day to day. Along with what was accomplished on the cross, Jesus gave us forever through grace. An empty tomb assures us that we will live with Jesus forever and Tripp reminds us, “…Jesus not only gave us a future, but he also restored our ability to live as we were designed, with eternity in view.”
Life is hard. As Christians we are called into battle fighting against the evil one attempting to derail us from living with forever in mind. Where is the joy we so desperately want? The author reminds us that deep-seated joy is foreverjoy, eternal joy; vertical joy; it does not evaporate in the face of hardship. “Eternity assures us that every dark thing will be defeated. Eternity celebrates the truth that God will win. Eternity shocks us with the certainty that death will someday die along with all of the pain and suffering that are attached to it. Eternity tells us that God will dry our last tears.”
If you are searching for help living in a broken world with broken people, this is a book you definitely should read. The author invites you “…to step off the treadmill of your busy life and consider what life looks like when viewed through the lens of forever.”