40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife

by Peter Greer, Greg Lafferty, Bob Buford (Foreword)

At midlife, our perspective can become blurry. Midlife is a disruptive season where we collide with limitations on all sides. We recognize there is more of life in the rearview mirror than on the road ahead of us. We wonder if our lives so far have been worthwhile. We are uncertain about what lies ahead. But midlife is also an opportunity to recalibrate our vision. It's a time to look back, take stock of our lives so far, and refocus on new dimensions of identity and calling. Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty offer insight for navigating midlife with fresh clarity and purpose. Drawing on the wisdom of the book of Ecclesiastes, they show how we can come to grips with the realities of who we are and what we should become in the years ahead. In a world that can seem meaningless at times, God offers perspective that anchors us, renews us and propels us back into the world in meaningful mission and service. Rediscover who God has called you to be. And see the rest of your life with the clarity of 40/40 vision.

Genres: Self Help, Leadership, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2015

About the author

Peter Greer is an author, speaker, and president and CEO of HOPE International, a global faith-based economic development organization serving throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Peter received a B.S. in international business from Messiah University and an MPP in political and economic development from Harvard's Kennedy School.
As an advocate for the Church’s role in missions and alleviating extreme poverty, Peter has co-authored over 14 books, including The Gift of Disillusionment, Mission Drift (selected as a 2015 Book Award Winner from Christianity Today), Rooting for Rivals (selected as a 2019 Leadership Resource of the Year in Outreach magazine), The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good (selected as one of the top 40 books on poverty by WORLD magazine) and Created to Flourish. More important than his role at HOPE is his role as husband to Laurel and dad to Keith, Liliana, Myles, and London. While his sports loyalties remain in New England, Peter and his family live in Lancaster, PA.

Blog: peterkgreer.com. Twitter: @peterkgreer. Facebook: @PeterKGreer

Reviews

[Patrick Poteet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about viewing life from the middle. Based on Ecclesiastes.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote the following review back in 2015. I stand by my review after reading this work a second time.

Faced squarely by the hard truth that one has landed in the middle of a short life that is rapidly getting shorter provides a person an opportunity to go one of two directions: do nothing different and continue as before, or re-evaluate and re-direct. In this regard the biblical material known as Ecclesiastes is a great place to go to get a dose of reality before things get too far out of hand and too far down the road. And one way to steer through Ecclesiastes is with the help of a new 208 page hardback, “40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife.” This fine, reader-friendly book is penned by Peter Greer, president and CEO of HOPE International, and Greg Lafferty, senior pastor of Willowdale Chapel in Kennett Square and Jennersville, Pennsylvania. Greer and Lafferty write in a clear, captivating, and challenging style that keeps the reader turning pages, thinking, and engaging with the material.

“40/40 Vision” takes up themes from Ecclesiastes and walks through them in twelve chapters with good descriptions, illustrative stories, and serious encounters. The authors tackle a host of issues that someone coming to the middle years of their life will likely be facing. For example when mortality cold-slaps you in the face; what purpose is there in this hack-and-grind called work; the reasons for that gut-deep disappointment; recognizing the growing urge of selfishness; meeting the dawning realization of pointlessness. There’s no sugar-coating by Greer and Lafferty, but an honest-face-the-music approach that gently draws the reader to see the situation in all of its starkness. But instead of leaving the middle-lifer in a crisis, the authors offer sage, biblical counsel on how to turn all of this into a mid-life opportunity.

“40/40 Vision” is skillfully crafted, standing as it does on the foundation of Ecclesiastes. It’s a work that is meant to be read, discussed, dog-eared, marked-up, and returned to for years to come. It is well suited for study groups, Adult Christian Education classes, mentors and mentees, spiritual directors, counselors and individuals. I urge you to go straight away and purchase a copy soon. Your time spent reading it will be worth every minute, and the money you put down on it will be worth every dime.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Listened to it in 3 days and will probably start it over now.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make. I'm forty. I aged out in June and I am forced to face the fact that I'm statistically closer to the grave than the cradle. In many ways I don't feel forty yet. I feel like I'm still becoming who I was meant to be. I don't feel like I'm established. There is so much I had hoped to accomplish at this point, there is security which has eluded me, such as a fulfilling job and life success.

4434Authors Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty both have successful ministry careers. Greer is the president and CEO of Hope International, a global micro-finance organization. Lafferty is the senior pastor of Willowdale Chapel in Jennersville, Pennsylvania. Greer watched Lafferty navigate his forties and decided to learn from him about how he could avoid a midlife crisis and be propelled towards meaningful mission (17). 40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife is Greer and Lafferty's call for us to reevaluate our lives and press into the things which matter.

Lafferty and Greer share vulnerability about their experience of aging. They also engage a third dialogue partner: Qoheleth. The author of Ecclesiastes provides insights on refocusing our life midstream. Greer and Lafferty (and Qoheleth) address midlife (ch. 1), the meaninglessness of life (ch. 2), disappointment with our life not going how we had planned (ch.3), the lose of 'thrill'(ch. 4), facing mortality (ch. 5), growing in generosity (ch. 6), breaking the addiction to go-go-go (ch. 7), aging well (ch. 8), deepening our relationships in midlife (ch. 9), relinquishing control (ch. 10), finding meaning outside of 'a job' (ch. 11), and living a life with lasting purpose (ch. 12).

In their introduction, Greer and Lafferty write, " Our hope is that this is not just another self-help book loosely based on Christian principles or a list of ways to ease the symptoms of midlife. Rather, we want to address the underlying questions of midlife through the timeless wisdom fo Ecclesiastes. Although many issues in their forties, others face them in their thirties or fifities" (17-18). Sharing vulnerably from their life experience, they delve into each theme, highlighting the wisdom and insights of Ecclesiaties and exploring what it means to live life on mission in life's latter half.

This book speaks meaningfully to me in a way I wish it did not. I would rather be young, invincible, and immortal. But the experience of forty means I have to face up to life and press forward knowing that reckoning and resurrection await those who fear God and keep his commandments (183-184). Greer and Lafferty's conversational tone draws you and causes you to reflect on what life could be like moving forward.

I recommend this book for those near forty, those who are forty or fortyish, and those who saw forty a long time ago and still pretend they are forty. Greer and Lafferty show how Ecclesiastes speaks to midlife. I give this four stars.

Note: I received this book from IVP in exchange for my honest review.

[Josh Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is 41, I’ll admit I found this book depressing. It’s filled with the woe and gloom of so many people entering what appears to be another period of temporary insanity equal to our teenage years. Affairs, depression, marriage strife, cold relationships, pointless activities, empty pleasures, and lack of fulfillment appear in story after story in the book. Greer’s research indicates people are at their lowest reported happiness levels during their forties.

The authors tie the number “40” in with all sorts of biblical examples of testing and claim, in a way, midlife is a period of trial. Much of this is from increasingly realization and disappointment with our limitations. At forty years old, your life is half over, or possibly more so. You aren’t as fit, enduring, or hip as you used to be and acknowledging that is hard. Based off a series of passages in Ecclesiastes, the authors analyze what the Teacher can tell us when we’re confronted with the meaningless aspects of life.

Some of their advice:
- Appreciate for what you have, instead of nostalgia for what you’ve lost
- Realize God and heaven are where the party is at, rather than trying to claim good times on earth
- Build an appetite for giving, in place of hoarding material things
- Eliminate hurry and pursue authentic friendships by being vulnerable

[Stephen Mulder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I'm not personally 40 yet, this book was a helpful look at what Ecclesiastes has to warn against in terms of the classic "midlife crisis" and discouragement that commonly attends those years. There is much wisdom in this book, though I felt like his treatment of "the conclusion of the matter" was lacking. He spent more time saying the main thrust of Ecclesiastes was "remember your Creator" rather than "fear God and keep His commandments." However, the essence of "fear God" appeared throughout the book. Meaning to life is only found in "glorifying God and enjoying Him forever" in relationship with Jesus Christ.

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read of Peter Greer's and he is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. This book intrigued me for the subject matter as I am well not 40 but approaching 50 real soon. But the content was ever bit as applicable I think. A very good read that I would recommend for anyone approaching mid life or a bit older.

[Brian Virtue · Rating 5 out of 5]

For what this book aimed to achieve, I thought it did a pretty great job. Really helpful and insightful and the Ecclesiastes integration was well done. Lot of people in their 40's I'm watching would benefit from this wisdom and path of reflection.

[George P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty, 40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015).

[Note: This review originally appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com.]

An 80-country survey asked respondents, “All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?” People in their 40s were least satisfied, with 46-year-olds being unhappiest. I am 46 years old. Needless to say, I read Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty’s new book with keen interest.

The forties are the decade when men and women experience midlife crisis. They are halfway through their lives equidistant from the start of their professions and their retirement. The twenties and thirties are predominated by questions of success. In the forties, however, questions of significance take the lead.

According to Greer and Lafferty, the kinds of questions 40-year-olds ask are these: “All this work, does it even matter? I’ve striven for so long, but I’m still not there—and now I’m losing interest. Why am I not happier? Is this my lot in life? Did I miss my calling? Is it too late for a do-over? Was all that I pursued in my thirties a mistake?” (emphasis in the original).

These are questions of meaning. To navigate the turbulence of the forties is thus to navigate the waters of life’s meaning. And few books of the Bible address the question of meaning more acutely than Ecclesiastes.

But wait, you’re thinking to yourself; doesn’t Ecclesiastes say that life is meaningless? “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’” (1:2). If you’re having a midlife crisis, that’s hardly the kind of statement to cheer you up.

True, but as Greer and Lafferty point out, Ecclesiastes’ perspective is that of a “functional deist,” that is, “a person who acknowledges God’s existence but suffers due to his apparent absence.” Such a person can experience great success and pleasure in life, and yet still discover that they don’t guarantee a meaningful life. What is needed is a larger worldview, an above-the-sun perspective.

An above-the-sun perspective gives meaning to an under-the-sun life not by pooh-poohing success or pleasure, but by qualifying them, by helping us see the goodness in life’s limitations. For example, chapter 6, “(Un)charitable,” deals with the concept of “true wealth.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 truly said, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves money is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

But notice the parentheses in the chapter title; they are important. A person focused on getting is uncharitable. But place that negative prefix un- in parenthesis—qualify or limit it—and you discover that wealth isn’t the problem. It’s the lack of generosity. The authors write, “In the United States, we’ve developed super-sized appetites for pleasure, but we haven’t experienced a corresponding rise in our taste for giving.” Accumulating money doesn’t make you happy or filled with a sense of meaning. Being generous with what you have does, however.

The same can be said for all the goods we pursue in life. They’re not necessarily bad in and of themselves, but they’re unalloyed goods either. A meaningful life recognizes their limited, qualified, under-the-sun goodness.

Only God, who lives “above the sun” is unqualifiedly good, so our search for meaning in midlife must inevitably turn to Him. Of one of the criminals crucified alongside Christ, Greer and Lafferty write: “In many ways, he typifies a wasted life, a nameless man engaged in senseless violence. But during his brief moment on stage, he said a line that goes down as one of the greatest in history: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’ (Luke 23:42).” And that request saves him. “Boom. Immortal. One moment of clarity in a life of futility, and everything changes.”

Precisely because I’m in my forties, I paid close attention to the advice given in 40/40 Vision, and I recommend it highly, especially if you’re in midlife too. I want my next forty years to be even better than my first forty. I especially recommend reading the book to forty-something pastors. It’s hard enough to lead a congregation under normal circumstances, let alone on top of a midlife crisis. Get help early and often!

At the start of this review, I noted that 46 years of age was the low point of unhappiness in that global survey. If that’s where you are today, you don’t have to get stuck there! For, to borrow a phrase from Ecclesiastes, God will make everything beautiful in its time (3:11).

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P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “yes” on my Amazon.com review page.

[Katie Nunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explains what I've been feeling for the last 5 years! Several life circumstances threw me into the process working through middle age earlier than expected. This book is an awesome analysis and normalization of the struggles of wading through midlife. AND the vision to prioritize what is important all backed by the book of Ecclesiastes. Highly recommend.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The closer I get to 40 and beyond, the more grateful I am to have an encouraging guide to help me navigate these uncertain waters.

It's a book, of course, because books are my favorite teachers. It's called 40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife by Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty. It's a close look at the small Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes and what the great king Solomon has to say about the middle years viewed in retrospect. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)

I was worried that this book would not be "for me." I know, in part, my mission, and my calling as a writer is not dependent on my age. I'm not going to be forced into early retirement from my freelance career or from writing novels because of my age. I don't feel adrift in my overall calling, though I do sense the need for clarity in some areas.

So, I'm happy to report that this book is for me. And you. And whoever is looking at the latter half of their life with fear, confusion, or worry. It's not just a book for those who work full time or minister full time, nor is it just for men, who stereotypically have a "midlife crisis." This is as much a book for a mom whose kids are growing more independent and who is rediscovering her free time as it is for a man stuck in a job he isn't sure matters. It's for the happily married man and the dissatisfied wife. The potential for a midlife crisis is not limited to one certain type of person.

Greer and Lafferty show us how to look at our lives--past and future--from the incomparable vantage point of the middle.

"Opening our eyes to our own mortality and limitations can allow us to live more fully. Midlife is an opportunity to leave some of our youthful folly behind, to look back on our first forty and refocus on what matters most for our next forty--or however long we have. It's a time to prepare for our second act, to get our second wind." (16)

I like the idea of midlife being a time of preparation, a chance to catch our breaths and evaluate what has been working in life and what hasn't. This has revolutionized how I view the big 4-0.

And the authors don't just address jobs and callings. They tackle issues of mortality, purpose, identity, friendship and building true wealth, among other things. And they do it with stories, both theirs and others, humor and grace.

If you feel stuck in the middle of life with little hope for the years ahead, or you dread the onset of middle age, this book will restore your focus to see all the good that lies ahead.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faced squarely by the hard truth that one has landed in the middle of a short life that is rapidly getting shorter provides a person an opportunity to go one of two directions: do nothing different and continue as before, or re-evaluate and re-direct. In this regard the biblical material known as Ecclesiastes is a great place to go to get a dose of reality before things get too far out of hand and too far down the road. And one way to steer through Ecclesiastes is with the help of a new 208 page hardback, “40/40 Vision: Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife.” This fine, reader-friendly book is penned by Peter Greer, president and CEO of HOPE International, and Greg Lafferty, senior pastor of Willowdale Chapel in Kennett Square and Jennersville, Pennsylvania. Greer and Lafferty write in a clear, captivating, and challenging style that keeps the reader turning pages, thinking, and engaging with the material.

“40/40 Vision” takes up themes from Ecclesiastes and walks through them in twelve chapters with good descriptions, illustrative stories, and serious encounters. The authors tackle a host of issues that someone coming to the middle years of their life will likely be facing. For example when mortality cold-slaps you in the face; what purpose is there in this hack-and-grind called work; the reasons for that gut-deep disappointment; recognizing the growing urge of selfishness; meeting the dawning realization of pointlessness. There’s no sugar-coating by Greer and Lafferty, but an honest-face-the-music approach that gently draws the reader to see the situation in all of its starkness. But instead of leaving the middle-lifer in a crisis, the authors offer sage, biblical counsel on how to turn all of this into a mid-life opportunity.

“40/40 Vision” is skillfully crafted, standing as it does on the foundation of Ecclesiastes. It’s a work that is meant to be read, discussed, dog-eared, marked-up, and returned to for years to come. It is well suited for study groups, Adult Christian Education classes, mentors and mentees, spiritual directors, counselors and individuals. I urge you to go straight away and purchase a copy soon. Your time spent reading it will be worth every minute, and the money you put down on it will be worth every dime.

My sincere gratitude goes to InterVarsity Press for the free copy of the book used for this review.

[Carol R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

40/40 Vision's subtitle, Clarifying Your Mission in Midlife, reminds us that we each have a mission for life, a mission from God, whether we are living it consciously—or at all. Is there a way to navigate the waters of midlife that forges a stronger commitment to God's mission while casting away the jetsam that truly doesn't matter? 40/40 Vision turns to a book of the Bible that knows how much jetsam, how much unnecessary baggage, we can load up our lives with.

"Many of us, like my puppy, wag and snap at a million things we want. We try to find substance in the trinkets big and small that money can buy. But the fuller our houses get, the emptier our souls feel. The more we acquire, the more we require."

"Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless," is how the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it. He uses "meaningless" 30 times, just to be sure we get his point. He's tried it all and it's all nothingness.

Authors Peter Greer and Greg Lafferty use this Bible book that could discourage us from attempting to find satisfaction in a pointless life to show us something important: "God put Ecclesiastes in our Bibles [to] guide us to the heart of nothingness, that we might seek life elsewhere."

I received a free copy of this book as part of the Peter Greer's launch team, and I knew they were eager for me to write reviews of it. But I couldn't hurry through it. There was so much practical wisdom to digest, so much hopefulness, that the authors have mined from this Bible book about meaninglessness.

Greer is the president and CEO of Hope International, a Christian microfinance organization, a ministry providing small loans and advice to enable people living in poverty conditions to start a business and support their families. It's sounds like incredibly fulfilling work. Could he really have struggled with a lack of meaning in life? Apparently. And so can I. And you.

That's why the book's chapters cover questions like:
What happens when the thrill is gone?
How do we build true wealth?
How do you stop and rest before life stops you?
How do we grow up gracefully?

This book would make a great start to the new year. Discover for your own life this truth: "Just because there is no meaning under the sun doesn't mean there is no meaning beyond it."

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book for Christians to read when they reach their 40s. It lacks some of the depth that they will need as time goes on but, drawing effectively on the lessons in the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, the authors do an excellent job of pointing their readers in the right direction, to get them thinking about crucial issues and questions that will help sustain them in the 2nd half of life. It's a sobering and an encouraging book. I wish I had read a book like it when I was in my 40s, but there were other good books that helped me then. The authors model a relationship that is far too rare these days: strong mentoring friendships between older and younger people. Elders need a calling to this. "Youngers" need to seek them out more. Each will learn quite a bit from the other. It's a highly rewarding and valuable experience when its done well, from the heart.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much of this book hit home - right at a time and place where I needed it. I was fortunate enough to recently sit down with Peter Greer and was telling him about current “challenges” in my life (just one of which was trying to find my direction in rebuilding my life after going through a flood from Hurricane Harvey). I also had a clear notion that I should seek to “know God” more than seek an answer to “what do I do next?” Peter’s response was “paperback or audio?” and he handed me a copy of this wonderful book.

It has been such a blessing to get the pre- and post-midlife perspective shared in this book. It also comprehensively weaves Ecclesiastes and the wisdom of Solomon throughout as it’s guide. It makes me think, pray, seek, and hopefully redirect my course during this trying (but fairly universal) time in my life. Many thanks, Peter!

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a study of the book of Ecclesiastes, which is always a wonderful reminder of the futility of all the things we chase after in this life. It is hard to go from that point, which feels so true, to the point of seeing above the sun, to what lies ahead. "Just because there is no meaning under the sun doesn't mean there is no meaning beyond it."
This is an attempt at telling us how to do so, and how not to, in middle age. There is not a lot of depth here, in my opinion, but some really good reminders of the things we already know. Dealing with these issues takes a lot of meat. (Not soft, slow cooked roast, but the kind of meat you have to chew.)

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, combining excellent life/leadership insight with sound Biblical exegesis based on Ecclesiastes. I just turned 38 and found a bit of myself on every page. It is a blessing to find scriptural guidance for the malaise that can creep in for many mid-lifers. I've already recommended it to several of my buddies and I hope the book will find a wider audience in coming years.

[Doug Seaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll call this a "gateway" book. There is not much depth to any of the chapters; however, there are several authors and titles referenced throughout the book that will satisfy piqued interests. Quick read & footnotes for referenced works = 4 stars.

[Carter Hemphill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouraging book about the challenges men face in midlife. Pulling from the book of Ecclesiastics, the authors offer more like words of encouragement than practical types for avoiding the mid-life pitfalls.

[Jon Fugler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid content. However, could be shorter.