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How to Ruin Your Life: and Starting Over When You Do
You can blow up your life.
To bring strong and tall buildings to the ground, demolition experts strategically place tiny explosives throughout the structure of a building so that the building will topple on itself. Instead of destroying the building from the outside, they destroy it from within. In the same way many great men and women have imploded, and others are well on their way.
Author Eric Geiger offers a sobering reminder that many great and godly people have imploded, and none of us are above the risk. Looking at the story of David’s infamous implosion, readers will learn how to ruin our lives (so we won't), and also how to find hope if we do--as all of us need His grace.
To bring strong and tall buildings to the ground, demolition experts strategically place tiny explosives throughout the structure of a building so that the building will topple on itself. Instead of destroying the building from the outside, they destroy it from within. In the same way many great men and women have imploded, and others are well on their way.
Author Eric Geiger offers a sobering reminder that many great and godly people have imploded, and none of us are above the risk. Looking at the story of David’s infamous implosion, readers will learn how to ruin our lives (so we won't), and also how to find hope if we do--as all of us need His grace.
- GenresChristianLeadership
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2018
28 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Eric Geiger
33 books20 followersEric Geiger coauthored the multi-awarded national bestseller Simple Church and serves as executive pastor of Christ Fellowship, a large and growing multicultural church comprised of more than seventy nationalities near Miami, Florida. He and his wife, Kaye, have one daughter, Eden.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 2, 2018
If you serve in Christian ministry of any kind – particularly in a position of leadership as a pastor, teacher, coach, or ministry leader – then place How To Ruin Your Life: and Starting Over When You Do by Eric Geiger, the Vice President at LifeWay Christian Resources, should be high on your list of books to read.
In How To Ruin Your Life, Eric reminds us that integrity and character are vital to our ministry and must be closely guarded, because when a Christian leader implodes, they not only harm themselves and disqualify themselves from ministry for a season or more, but their fall has devastating effects on the lives of those around them.
Through the image of a building imploding and a study in the life of David from the Old Testament, Eric provides us with a look at three key warning signs that we are on the road to ruining our lives...
... if you ever find yourself in a situation where your life has imploded and you need good biblical counsel on how to make things right, then How To Ruin Your Life: and Starting Over When You Do is also a good book for you!
This excerpt is part of an original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my assessment of this book. You can read my review in its entirety at Create With Joy.
In How To Ruin Your Life, Eric reminds us that integrity and character are vital to our ministry and must be closely guarded, because when a Christian leader implodes, they not only harm themselves and disqualify themselves from ministry for a season or more, but their fall has devastating effects on the lives of those around them.
Through the image of a building imploding and a study in the life of David from the Old Testament, Eric provides us with a look at three key warning signs that we are on the road to ruining our lives...
... if you ever find yourself in a situation where your life has imploded and you need good biblical counsel on how to make things right, then How To Ruin Your Life: and Starting Over When You Do is also a good book for you!
This excerpt is part of an original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my assessment of this book. You can read my review in its entirety at Create With Joy.
June 29, 2018
A timely read with a great reminder from the story of David. That would have been enough but the author also reminds us that Gods grace helps us even in our failures and we can start over if we fail.
September 15, 2018
I loved both reading this book and hearing Eric Geiger speak on it last week! Excellent reminder that we are all capable of falling!
April 30, 2018
Keep Digging - Don't Ruin It!
Full review available at https://hisownheartblog.blogspot.com/....
…David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
1 Kings 15:5 ESV
Was there plausible reason for David to remain at home while his troops went to war? And why was he wandering around the palace roof? And - I ask this one as seriously and respectfully as I know how - why was Bathsheba bathing in public?
And what do we do with the rest of what happens during 2 Samuel 11-12 in light of God’s thoughts about David as recorded above in the opening passage of this post?
For this final Sunday of April, His Own Heart is diverging just a bit from its general routine to wrestle with some nagging questions.
But we’re diverging for a good reason.
The ESV Archeological Study Bible, Crossway Publishing, 2,048 pages, ISBN 978-1-4335-5040-9
This week’s post will be published just hours before The ESV Archeological Study Bible officially hits shelves in local bookstores. Crossway, the publisher of the project – as well as a few online retailers – have made it available for pre-order over the past month. I was excited to finally receive a copy of my own and find that it meets the description from the publisher’s website. The project, says Crossway:
roots the biblical text in its historical and cultural context, offering readers a framework for better understanding the people, places, and events recorded in Scripture. With editorial oversight from Dr. John Currid (PhD, University of Chicago) and Dr. David Chapman (PhD, University of Cambridge), as well as contributions from a team of field-trained archaeologists, the Archaeology Study Bible assembles a range of modern scholarship—pairing the biblical text with over 2,000 study notes, 400 full-color photographs, 200 maps and diagrams, 200 sidebars, 15 articles, and 4 timelines. These features bring life to the ancient texts, helping readers situate them in their historical context while recognizing the truth that the eternal God became flesh entered human history at a specific time and in a specific place.
While Crossway’s words are spot on, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that neither their remarks nor any formal review I could write would absolutely, without a doubt, convince you - from individual believers to small groups to Sunday school classes to pulpits, to go out and get this Bible.
And I so want you to go out and get this Bible.
So if you’ll stick with me this week, I’d like to show you the value of The ESV Archeological Study Bible within the context of my thoughts on How to Ruin Your Life (and Starting Over When You Do) from B&H Publishing Group.
How to Ruin Your Life (and Starting Over When You Do) by Eric Geiger. B&H Books, 208 pages, April 2018. ISBN: 978-1462780914.
In his book released early this month, author Eric Geiger wastes no time getting to the heart of what he wants you to know: you can, in fact, ruin your life. In the process he offers a sobering reminder that many great and godly people allow their lives to implode everyday and – more importantly – that neither himself nor myself nor you are above the risk of having our own lives implode. He follows up with a point all-too-often ignored is our culture today: that we aren’t above bearing the responsibility or ongoing consequences that these implosions bring.
If your life has not yet imploded, my prayer is that the Lord will use the first half of the book to serve as a warning and the second half of the book to motivate you with His grace. If your life has imploded, my prayer is that you will walk away from the book with a helpful view of what happened to your heart and be filled with hope for your future (Geiger, 16).
Geiger uses as his case-in-point the story of Old Testament Israel’s King David, the God-appointed leader whose ruin culminated in adultery and murder. He uses the first part of his text to examine what he deems to be three qualities that weakened the foundation of David’s character and eventually led to self-destruction. Through the pages of David’s fall and redemption, Geiger instructs readers on how to ruin to their lives (so they won’t ruin their lives, he says), and also on how to find hope through Christ’s grace if ruination does occur.
The following excerpt from the book provides a good overview of the point that Geiger, a senior vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources, aims to drive home to his readers:
Just as demolition experts place explosives inside of buildings so they will weaken and implode, there were three explosives on the foundation of David’s life that led to his implosion. These three explosives can lead to your ruin as well. They are easily hidden from those who watch us from a distance, but they threaten to destroy the foundation of our lives.
The three explosives are isolation, boredom, and pride.
First, David was alone. He was isolated. It was the time that kings go off to war, and David remained in Jerusalem. He sent his community away. Friends who would have held him accountable were gone. Friends who would have stopped him from pursuing Bathsheba were nowhere around.
Second, David was bored. He got up from his bed in the middle of the night looking for something, anything. The Lord, on that night, was not enough for Him. He wanted something else, something else to look at, something else to conquer, something else to pursue.
Third, David was filled with pride. When he was told that Bathsheba was Uriah’s wife, David instructed the servant to get her anyway. “I am the king and I get what I want.” In his mind, David deserved whatever he desired. Pride corrupted his heart.
Isolation. Boredom. Pride. They must not be taken lightly. They will ruin a life. (Geiger, 45-46).
Each statement from the previous paragraph is absolutely true; this book should be read and discussed by churches, small groups and individuals alike as a booster of sorts for maintaining spiritual health and guarding against complacency in the life of the Christ-follower. That said, readers would likely benefit even further from Geiger’s theory were he to spend a few more pages digging deeper into the cultural details of the three explosives he cites above.
It’s important that you know up-front that the statement you just read is intended as an observation and not a criticism; some of the best Christian books are those that leave the reader evaluating – and hopefully investigating – points made by the author. In the case of King David, Geiger’s text brought questions to my mind like the ones that opened this post.
While neither this post nor its sources in any way seek to minimalize, condone or describe David’s affair with Bathsheba as anything other than the blatant sin that it was, I did supplement the reading of Geiger’s book with notes and articles from the ESV Archeological Study Bible. And doing so significantly enhanced my understanding of why the scene unfolded as it did.
According to factual timelines, for example, David would have been 20 or 30 years past the usual age of a soldier in this battle. So we can’t exactly bank on an assumption that he was away from his men as a matter of laziness or complacency. Isolation comes in a variety of seemingly legitimate disguises.
According to the notes associated with 2 Samuel, David lived in a culture where a number of tasks took place on the flat roofs of the day. Some of these tasks were good and others not-so-good for an Israelite, as explained in the contributive notes by Catherine McDowell, Ph.D. We should be slow, therefore, to conclude that David ascended to the palace roof out of pure boredom. The point here is that boredom isn’t always prevalent in a person’s life. Left unattended, in fact, it can take root even amid the busy-ness of everyday life.
Dr. McDowell – an instructor for Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary – even addresses the matter of Bathsheba’s bathing habits. (After guiding me through a year of Hebrew language and biblical interpretation, she probably knew I’d be the one who’d need a note on the topic.) As it turns out, the reason behind Bathsheba’s public bath – with her husband away at war, no less – remains a mystery as public bathing wasn’t generally the norm in the Ancient Near Eastern culture or tradition of the day. That being the case, I would suggest that the sight of a person bathing in public would naturally have catch a person’s attention. David obviously didn’t handle the situation well because he didn’t turn away. At times we think we’re strong enough, saved enough, to take one more look – one more step – toward spiritual danger without slipping into the unthinkable. That’s pride that goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
And make no mistake: when one of God’s own children falls, he or she falls hard. They’re in no way down for the count, but hear me as I say this to you in love: they are down for the accountability of their actions. This is the disciplinary consequence of sin that God administers as a loving Father. God held David accountable for adultery and murder. He mapped out the consequences David would face:
“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun’” (2 Samuel 12:10-12 ESV).
We would all do well to notice here that the God Who delivers us from sin when we repent and turn to Him is the same God Who does not deliver us from the consequences of that sin. With the help of Crossway’s new Bible, I watched the curse of the House of David unfold chronologically. Get this:
Bathsheba’s son dies (2 Samuel 12:19) and
Amnon rapes his half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:10-14) and
Absalom kills Amnon for raping Tamar (2 Samuel 13:28-29) and
Absalom escapes to a foreign land for three years (2 Samuel 13:38) and
Absalom returns (without any recognition from David) to Jerusalem and dwells there for two years before seeing David (2 Samuel 14:28) and
Absalom steals the hearts of the people deliberately and rebelliously. Also tries to overthrow father (2 Samuel 15:6) and
David has to leave Jerusalem, with the mass of the people against him (2 Samuel 15:14) and
Absalom sleeps with ten of David’s concubines (2 Samuel 16:16-22) and
Absalom dies in battle in the forest of Ephraim, defeated by David’s forces (2 Samuel 18:6) and
Even as David lay on his deathbed, his son Adonijah attempts to take the throne by force, and is later executed as a traitor (I Kings 1:5; 2:25)
Those are some pretty serious consequences, and along with the sin that set them into motion, have led some people to claim that they stand in clear contradiction to 1 Kings 15:5 as printed above. Let me be clear: God’s Word has never and will never contradict itself; sound interpretation skills and a bit of elbow grease show this to be true every time the accusation is made.
The argument often goes like so:
1 Kings 15:5 claims that David was without sin except what he did to Bathsheba and her husband. It credits David with not “turning aside from anything that God commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” The is just not true; it directly goes against even the most basic statements about fallen man like Genesis 6:5 or Jeremiah 17:9 or even what Paul says in Romans 3:10–23 plus specific condemnations of David on other occasions. Look at what David said himself after God confronted him for disobedience in (1 Chronicles 21:1); that he had “sinned greatly” (1 Chronicles 21:8).
But in reality, this argument is misinformed, misplaced and, well, it’s just plain wrong. Digging a little deeper into Scripture and making good use of reliable resources, we see that 1 Kings 15:5 by no stretch of the imagination proclaims David to be virtually sinless. Several factors account for this.
First and foremost, the words in this passage create a general and true characterization of David’s life. Consider this: Job was human and therefore not without sin, yet Scripture describes him as “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1); David’s life was likewise without the major fault of turning away from God.
Second, look at the context surrounding the passage. This commendation of David is neither absolute nor is its meaning intended to stand independently apart from that context; rather, the passage is relative to the plethora of sins that Abijam commits (see 1 Kings 15:1, 3). With the glaring and consequential exception of his sins involving Bathsheba, Scripture shows that David truly did seek to do “that which was right in the eyes of the Lord” (1 Kings 15:5).
Further, as reliable sources like the ESV Archeological Study Bible reveal, there’s the matter of the exception clause. The phrase, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite, is actually absent from a number of early Old Testament manuscripts. Its absence, many scholars argue, further suggest that the original statement was made as a general commendation of David.
Next comes an examination of the passage’s phrase that David had not turned aside from God. In its original Hebrew language, the tense and wording of the phrase indicates that God is speaking of the generally steadfast direction that David’s life has taken as opposed to referencing every specific sin David committed. This is an important factor to take into account when considering a reason for David’s other sins going unmentioned here. The suggestion is that these sins did not take his life off-course in terms of his service to the Lord up to that time.
This idea leads, in turn, to a final point and important take-away from David’s life. David sinned, yes, but when confronted by God through Nathan the prophet, he did what was right. Grieved not because he was facing consequences, but because he had rebelled against and grieved the heart of the righteous and holy God, David repented genuinely and immediately, turning deliberately from his sin (see 2 Samuel 12:1ff and 1 Chronicles 21:8).
In Geiger’s language, that action is how David started over once he ruined his life. In many ways, the willingness to do so is a telling mark of any believer then, now and tomorrow who truly is in love with and committed to Christ.
- Copyright 2018, Carole Anne Hallyburton. All rights reserved.
Full review available at https://hisownheartblog.blogspot.com/....
…David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
1 Kings 15:5 ESV
Was there plausible reason for David to remain at home while his troops went to war? And why was he wandering around the palace roof? And - I ask this one as seriously and respectfully as I know how - why was Bathsheba bathing in public?
And what do we do with the rest of what happens during 2 Samuel 11-12 in light of God’s thoughts about David as recorded above in the opening passage of this post?
For this final Sunday of April, His Own Heart is diverging just a bit from its general routine to wrestle with some nagging questions.
But we’re diverging for a good reason.
The ESV Archeological Study Bible, Crossway Publishing, 2,048 pages, ISBN 978-1-4335-5040-9
This week’s post will be published just hours before The ESV Archeological Study Bible officially hits shelves in local bookstores. Crossway, the publisher of the project – as well as a few online retailers – have made it available for pre-order over the past month. I was excited to finally receive a copy of my own and find that it meets the description from the publisher’s website. The project, says Crossway:
roots the biblical text in its historical and cultural context, offering readers a framework for better understanding the people, places, and events recorded in Scripture. With editorial oversight from Dr. John Currid (PhD, University of Chicago) and Dr. David Chapman (PhD, University of Cambridge), as well as contributions from a team of field-trained archaeologists, the Archaeology Study Bible assembles a range of modern scholarship—pairing the biblical text with over 2,000 study notes, 400 full-color photographs, 200 maps and diagrams, 200 sidebars, 15 articles, and 4 timelines. These features bring life to the ancient texts, helping readers situate them in their historical context while recognizing the truth that the eternal God became flesh entered human history at a specific time and in a specific place.
While Crossway’s words are spot on, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that neither their remarks nor any formal review I could write would absolutely, without a doubt, convince you - from individual believers to small groups to Sunday school classes to pulpits, to go out and get this Bible.
And I so want you to go out and get this Bible.
So if you’ll stick with me this week, I’d like to show you the value of The ESV Archeological Study Bible within the context of my thoughts on How to Ruin Your Life (and Starting Over When You Do) from B&H Publishing Group.
How to Ruin Your Life (and Starting Over When You Do) by Eric Geiger. B&H Books, 208 pages, April 2018. ISBN: 978-1462780914.
In his book released early this month, author Eric Geiger wastes no time getting to the heart of what he wants you to know: you can, in fact, ruin your life. In the process he offers a sobering reminder that many great and godly people allow their lives to implode everyday and – more importantly – that neither himself nor myself nor you are above the risk of having our own lives implode. He follows up with a point all-too-often ignored is our culture today: that we aren’t above bearing the responsibility or ongoing consequences that these implosions bring.
If your life has not yet imploded, my prayer is that the Lord will use the first half of the book to serve as a warning and the second half of the book to motivate you with His grace. If your life has imploded, my prayer is that you will walk away from the book with a helpful view of what happened to your heart and be filled with hope for your future (Geiger, 16).
Geiger uses as his case-in-point the story of Old Testament Israel’s King David, the God-appointed leader whose ruin culminated in adultery and murder. He uses the first part of his text to examine what he deems to be three qualities that weakened the foundation of David’s character and eventually led to self-destruction. Through the pages of David’s fall and redemption, Geiger instructs readers on how to ruin to their lives (so they won’t ruin their lives, he says), and also on how to find hope through Christ’s grace if ruination does occur.
The following excerpt from the book provides a good overview of the point that Geiger, a senior vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources, aims to drive home to his readers:
Just as demolition experts place explosives inside of buildings so they will weaken and implode, there were three explosives on the foundation of David’s life that led to his implosion. These three explosives can lead to your ruin as well. They are easily hidden from those who watch us from a distance, but they threaten to destroy the foundation of our lives.
The three explosives are isolation, boredom, and pride.
First, David was alone. He was isolated. It was the time that kings go off to war, and David remained in Jerusalem. He sent his community away. Friends who would have held him accountable were gone. Friends who would have stopped him from pursuing Bathsheba were nowhere around.
Second, David was bored. He got up from his bed in the middle of the night looking for something, anything. The Lord, on that night, was not enough for Him. He wanted something else, something else to look at, something else to conquer, something else to pursue.
Third, David was filled with pride. When he was told that Bathsheba was Uriah’s wife, David instructed the servant to get her anyway. “I am the king and I get what I want.” In his mind, David deserved whatever he desired. Pride corrupted his heart.
Isolation. Boredom. Pride. They must not be taken lightly. They will ruin a life. (Geiger, 45-46).
Each statement from the previous paragraph is absolutely true; this book should be read and discussed by churches, small groups and individuals alike as a booster of sorts for maintaining spiritual health and guarding against complacency in the life of the Christ-follower. That said, readers would likely benefit even further from Geiger’s theory were he to spend a few more pages digging deeper into the cultural details of the three explosives he cites above.
It’s important that you know up-front that the statement you just read is intended as an observation and not a criticism; some of the best Christian books are those that leave the reader evaluating – and hopefully investigating – points made by the author. In the case of King David, Geiger’s text brought questions to my mind like the ones that opened this post.
While neither this post nor its sources in any way seek to minimalize, condone or describe David’s affair with Bathsheba as anything other than the blatant sin that it was, I did supplement the reading of Geiger’s book with notes and articles from the ESV Archeological Study Bible. And doing so significantly enhanced my understanding of why the scene unfolded as it did.
According to factual timelines, for example, David would have been 20 or 30 years past the usual age of a soldier in this battle. So we can’t exactly bank on an assumption that he was away from his men as a matter of laziness or complacency. Isolation comes in a variety of seemingly legitimate disguises.
According to the notes associated with 2 Samuel, David lived in a culture where a number of tasks took place on the flat roofs of the day. Some of these tasks were good and others not-so-good for an Israelite, as explained in the contributive notes by Catherine McDowell, Ph.D. We should be slow, therefore, to conclude that David ascended to the palace roof out of pure boredom. The point here is that boredom isn’t always prevalent in a person’s life. Left unattended, in fact, it can take root even amid the busy-ness of everyday life.
Dr. McDowell – an instructor for Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary – even addresses the matter of Bathsheba’s bathing habits. (After guiding me through a year of Hebrew language and biblical interpretation, she probably knew I’d be the one who’d need a note on the topic.) As it turns out, the reason behind Bathsheba’s public bath – with her husband away at war, no less – remains a mystery as public bathing wasn’t generally the norm in the Ancient Near Eastern culture or tradition of the day. That being the case, I would suggest that the sight of a person bathing in public would naturally have catch a person’s attention. David obviously didn’t handle the situation well because he didn’t turn away. At times we think we’re strong enough, saved enough, to take one more look – one more step – toward spiritual danger without slipping into the unthinkable. That’s pride that goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
And make no mistake: when one of God’s own children falls, he or she falls hard. They’re in no way down for the count, but hear me as I say this to you in love: they are down for the accountability of their actions. This is the disciplinary consequence of sin that God administers as a loving Father. God held David accountable for adultery and murder. He mapped out the consequences David would face:
“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun’” (2 Samuel 12:10-12 ESV).
We would all do well to notice here that the God Who delivers us from sin when we repent and turn to Him is the same God Who does not deliver us from the consequences of that sin. With the help of Crossway’s new Bible, I watched the curse of the House of David unfold chronologically. Get this:
Bathsheba’s son dies (2 Samuel 12:19) and
Amnon rapes his half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:10-14) and
Absalom kills Amnon for raping Tamar (2 Samuel 13:28-29) and
Absalom escapes to a foreign land for three years (2 Samuel 13:38) and
Absalom returns (without any recognition from David) to Jerusalem and dwells there for two years before seeing David (2 Samuel 14:28) and
Absalom steals the hearts of the people deliberately and rebelliously. Also tries to overthrow father (2 Samuel 15:6) and
David has to leave Jerusalem, with the mass of the people against him (2 Samuel 15:14) and
Absalom sleeps with ten of David’s concubines (2 Samuel 16:16-22) and
Absalom dies in battle in the forest of Ephraim, defeated by David’s forces (2 Samuel 18:6) and
Even as David lay on his deathbed, his son Adonijah attempts to take the throne by force, and is later executed as a traitor (I Kings 1:5; 2:25)
Those are some pretty serious consequences, and along with the sin that set them into motion, have led some people to claim that they stand in clear contradiction to 1 Kings 15:5 as printed above. Let me be clear: God’s Word has never and will never contradict itself; sound interpretation skills and a bit of elbow grease show this to be true every time the accusation is made.
The argument often goes like so:
1 Kings 15:5 claims that David was without sin except what he did to Bathsheba and her husband. It credits David with not “turning aside from anything that God commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” The is just not true; it directly goes against even the most basic statements about fallen man like Genesis 6:5 or Jeremiah 17:9 or even what Paul says in Romans 3:10–23 plus specific condemnations of David on other occasions. Look at what David said himself after God confronted him for disobedience in (1 Chronicles 21:1); that he had “sinned greatly” (1 Chronicles 21:8).
But in reality, this argument is misinformed, misplaced and, well, it’s just plain wrong. Digging a little deeper into Scripture and making good use of reliable resources, we see that 1 Kings 15:5 by no stretch of the imagination proclaims David to be virtually sinless. Several factors account for this.
First and foremost, the words in this passage create a general and true characterization of David’s life. Consider this: Job was human and therefore not without sin, yet Scripture describes him as “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1); David’s life was likewise without the major fault of turning away from God.
Second, look at the context surrounding the passage. This commendation of David is neither absolute nor is its meaning intended to stand independently apart from that context; rather, the passage is relative to the plethora of sins that Abijam commits (see 1 Kings 15:1, 3). With the glaring and consequential exception of his sins involving Bathsheba, Scripture shows that David truly did seek to do “that which was right in the eyes of the Lord” (1 Kings 15:5).
Further, as reliable sources like the ESV Archeological Study Bible reveal, there’s the matter of the exception clause. The phrase, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite, is actually absent from a number of early Old Testament manuscripts. Its absence, many scholars argue, further suggest that the original statement was made as a general commendation of David.
Next comes an examination of the passage’s phrase that David had not turned aside from God. In its original Hebrew language, the tense and wording of the phrase indicates that God is speaking of the generally steadfast direction that David’s life has taken as opposed to referencing every specific sin David committed. This is an important factor to take into account when considering a reason for David’s other sins going unmentioned here. The suggestion is that these sins did not take his life off-course in terms of his service to the Lord up to that time.
This idea leads, in turn, to a final point and important take-away from David’s life. David sinned, yes, but when confronted by God through Nathan the prophet, he did what was right. Grieved not because he was facing consequences, but because he had rebelled against and grieved the heart of the righteous and holy God, David repented genuinely and immediately, turning deliberately from his sin (see 2 Samuel 12:1ff and 1 Chronicles 21:8).
In Geiger’s language, that action is how David started over once he ruined his life. In many ways, the willingness to do so is a telling mark of any believer then, now and tomorrow who truly is in love with and committed to Christ.
- Copyright 2018, Carole Anne Hallyburton. All rights reserved.
August 17, 2018
Geiger has me thinking about the role isolation, pride, and boredom have on sin.
March 28, 2018
Eric Geiger is a Senior Vice President of Lifeway, leading the resources division. This book takes an in-depth look at the life of David. The first half of the book looks at the implosion of David's life. The second half looks at David's confession and celebration.
Geiger cites three explosives on the foundation of David’s life that led to his implosion: isolation, boredom, and pride. These three explosives can lead to our foundation crumbling as well. We all experience feelings like complacency or disappointment at some point in our lives. Others have crippling addictions. Sin is borne out of these moments of weakness.
This book studies four key elements in David's life, as told in the scriptures:
1. The Implosion - 2 Samuel 11
2. The Confrontation - 2 Samuel 12
3. The Confession - Psalm 51
4. The Celebration - Psalm 32
This book makes you take note of potential areas of weakness in your life. Geiger emphasizes the importance of owning your sins, confessing to God, and allowing His grace to guide you. No matter how much you feel you have ruined your life, you have not out-sinned God’s grace.
I believe this quote from Charles Spurgeon sums it up nicely: "Note the three words so often used to denote our disobedience: rebellion, sin, and iniquity, are the threeheaded dog at the gates of hell, but our glorious Lord has silenced his barkings for ever against his own believing ones. The trinity of sin is overcome by the Trinity of heaven."
I would recommend this book to all Christians, especially those that are going through tough times. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Geiger cites three explosives on the foundation of David’s life that led to his implosion: isolation, boredom, and pride. These three explosives can lead to our foundation crumbling as well. We all experience feelings like complacency or disappointment at some point in our lives. Others have crippling addictions. Sin is borne out of these moments of weakness.
This book studies four key elements in David's life, as told in the scriptures:
1. The Implosion - 2 Samuel 11
2. The Confrontation - 2 Samuel 12
3. The Confession - Psalm 51
4. The Celebration - Psalm 32
This book makes you take note of potential areas of weakness in your life. Geiger emphasizes the importance of owning your sins, confessing to God, and allowing His grace to guide you. No matter how much you feel you have ruined your life, you have not out-sinned God’s grace.
I believe this quote from Charles Spurgeon sums it up nicely: "Note the three words so often used to denote our disobedience: rebellion, sin, and iniquity, are the threeheaded dog at the gates of hell, but our glorious Lord has silenced his barkings for ever against his own believing ones. The trinity of sin is overcome by the Trinity of heaven."
I would recommend this book to all Christians, especially those that are going through tough times. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2018
I sat in my living room with my mouth open wide in amazement as I watched the Lifeway building downtown implode. I had been in that building many times and all I could think about is how much work for the Kingdom of God had gone down in that place. I immediately kicked myself for not making the effort to go down and watch it in person. Everybody likes to watch a good implosion, right? Maybe so with buildings but it is not very fun to watch it in somebody else or for it to happen to yourself. Imagine all the pain and disappointment that goes along with imploding lives and multiply that by 100. I don’t believe you can even scratch the surface. Some of those scars never heal.
Eric Geiger serves as a Senior Vice President for Lifeway Christian Resources and he has authored How to Ruin Your Life, a book which looks at the story of David’s fall with lessons of how to avoid such a fall in your own life and what to do when you have fallen. This bestselling author of such books as Simple Church, Creature of the Word, and Designed to Lead, which he coauthored with Kevin Peck, has put together this great resource in hopes of keeping others from falling into some of the same traps that have brought down some of the mighty in the Kingdom of God.
Geiger recommends that you don’t read this book alone, but rather find others to go through it with you. He has even provided a five day devotional at his website to help.
By looking at three precursors of a fall, which are isolation, boredom, and pride, the author shows how each one of these led to the mighty fall of David, a man after God’s own heart. He goes on to look at David’s confession and the components that ensured that David’s failure would not be final in his life. To finish up the book, the author takes us to Psalm 32, which was written after David’s fall, to show how God’s grace applied, can restore us to the joy that we once knew.
This book is an easy read filled with Scripture and stories from real life. Once I began reading it I could not lay it down. It is something that I wished I could have read many years ago with others. This book reminded me of the grandeur of God and the power of His grace. I plan to use it as I’m teaching through 2 Samuel. It points out a few things that your commentary will not. I especially love how this book is about redemption as much as it is about instruction. He deals with all sides of the issue of failure.
With all of this being said, I too recommend you grab a few peers and read this together. Though God’s grace heals and forgives, the scars of failure remain. As I drive by the location where the Lifeway tower once stood, there is a big hole where once a great building once stood. That is nothing compared to the damage down when a person falls. They never fall alone.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
Eric Geiger serves as a Senior Vice President for Lifeway Christian Resources and he has authored How to Ruin Your Life, a book which looks at the story of David’s fall with lessons of how to avoid such a fall in your own life and what to do when you have fallen. This bestselling author of such books as Simple Church, Creature of the Word, and Designed to Lead, which he coauthored with Kevin Peck, has put together this great resource in hopes of keeping others from falling into some of the same traps that have brought down some of the mighty in the Kingdom of God.
Geiger recommends that you don’t read this book alone, but rather find others to go through it with you. He has even provided a five day devotional at his website to help.
By looking at three precursors of a fall, which are isolation, boredom, and pride, the author shows how each one of these led to the mighty fall of David, a man after God’s own heart. He goes on to look at David’s confession and the components that ensured that David’s failure would not be final in his life. To finish up the book, the author takes us to Psalm 32, which was written after David’s fall, to show how God’s grace applied, can restore us to the joy that we once knew.
This book is an easy read filled with Scripture and stories from real life. Once I began reading it I could not lay it down. It is something that I wished I could have read many years ago with others. This book reminded me of the grandeur of God and the power of His grace. I plan to use it as I’m teaching through 2 Samuel. It points out a few things that your commentary will not. I especially love how this book is about redemption as much as it is about instruction. He deals with all sides of the issue of failure.
With all of this being said, I too recommend you grab a few peers and read this together. Though God’s grace heals and forgives, the scars of failure remain. As I drive by the location where the Lifeway tower once stood, there is a big hole where once a great building once stood. That is nothing compared to the damage down when a person falls. They never fall alone.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
April 20, 2018
Using the analogy of a building imploding on itself---planned and carefully prepped for the event, Eric Geiger walks us through the process of a life being ruined, and yes, imploding. He reminds us that although the implosion of a building occurs within seconds of the button being pushed, a lot of work has gone into prepping the building for its demise. Often months’ worth of planning, with steps being taken to weaken the foundation are involved. And so it goes with the imploding life. It doesn’t just happen.
In How to Ruin Your Life: and Starting over when You Do (B&H Books, 2018) Geiger walks us through the process- it probably starts small, and seems innocent. A casual flirtatious comment, a party with friends where things get a little out of hand, maybe a random pornographic image popping up on the computer screen-followed by a deliberate search for more of the same. Over weeks, months, or years, the behavior continues. Theoretically no one knows what’s going on. But then there are whispered insinuations, snide comments, and lots of flapping jaws, until suddenly the open secret is secret no more, and the world as you know it ceases to exist. Family, job, reputation gone. They disappear quickly, but it’s been in the works for some time.
But the good news is that we serve a God of second chances, and we are given the opportunity to start over, we get the ‘redo’. When buildings are slated for destruction by implosion, a lot of planning goes into that final moment. And then the obvious work of the rebuild occurs. And a lot of that work is obvious—the hauling away of the debris, digging the hole where the foundation will be laid, framing, adding subsequent stories, roof and walls, and then the inside work, plumbing, electric, plastering, painting, flooring and all the other small details are taken care of. And so it is with a ruined life. It seems like the destruction may have taken only a moment, but there was lots of hidden stuff. And then the rebuild occurs, and much of that work is obvious. And it takes time. Lost trust is not recovered overnight. A ruined reputation is not quickly restored.
We all know people whose lives have imploded. Some of them resign themselves to their new status as loser, and never recover. Others turn to the ‘God of Second Chances’ and do the necessary work to rebuild. And they often come out stronger than before, with an incredible testimony of God's grace.
I think this book should be required reading for pastors. And maybe be re-read at periodic intervals as a reminder of the slippery slopes upon which we frequently find ourselves.
5/5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.
In How to Ruin Your Life: and Starting over when You Do (B&H Books, 2018) Geiger walks us through the process- it probably starts small, and seems innocent. A casual flirtatious comment, a party with friends where things get a little out of hand, maybe a random pornographic image popping up on the computer screen-followed by a deliberate search for more of the same. Over weeks, months, or years, the behavior continues. Theoretically no one knows what’s going on. But then there are whispered insinuations, snide comments, and lots of flapping jaws, until suddenly the open secret is secret no more, and the world as you know it ceases to exist. Family, job, reputation gone. They disappear quickly, but it’s been in the works for some time.
But the good news is that we serve a God of second chances, and we are given the opportunity to start over, we get the ‘redo’. When buildings are slated for destruction by implosion, a lot of planning goes into that final moment. And then the obvious work of the rebuild occurs. And a lot of that work is obvious—the hauling away of the debris, digging the hole where the foundation will be laid, framing, adding subsequent stories, roof and walls, and then the inside work, plumbing, electric, plastering, painting, flooring and all the other small details are taken care of. And so it is with a ruined life. It seems like the destruction may have taken only a moment, but there was lots of hidden stuff. And then the rebuild occurs, and much of that work is obvious. And it takes time. Lost trust is not recovered overnight. A ruined reputation is not quickly restored.
We all know people whose lives have imploded. Some of them resign themselves to their new status as loser, and never recover. Others turn to the ‘God of Second Chances’ and do the necessary work to rebuild. And they often come out stronger than before, with an incredible testimony of God's grace.
I think this book should be required reading for pastors. And maybe be re-read at periodic intervals as a reminder of the slippery slopes upon which we frequently find ourselves.
5/5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.
June 18, 2018
This is a timely book because many – leaders, political and entertainment figures, friends, co-workers, church members, and many people we will never hear about - have become disqualified due to what the author refers to as character implosions. An implosion is something that collapses from the inside. The falls seem sudden to outsiders, but these falls do not happen overnight.
In this book, the author uses King David’s implosion story. You know, the one who was a man after God’s heart. The one who slayed Goliath. And the one who would later commit adultery and murder. The first half of the book is about David’s implosion. The second half is about his confession, forgiveness and restoration.
Although it is King David’s implosion story that we hear about, the author writes that we are all disqualified, save for the grace of God. None of us are above an implosion. But an implosion doesn’t need to be the end of our story. Sin doesn’t need to be tamed, but slain. It can lead to self-destruction. But God’s grace is greater than our sin.
The author tells us that there are three things that will lead to an implosion:
• Isolation
• Boredom
• Pride
If you want to implode, chose isolation, independence and escapism over community.
Boredom can cause a holy discontent. Isolation and boredom weakened David’s foundation of character and were fueled by pride. Entitlement goes up when pride goes up. Pride fuels entitlement. The opposite of pride is humility. Pride was the first sin to take root in David’s heart. It is also the first sin to take root in our heart as well.
The author looks at pride in the life of King Uzziah. He tells us that unless we’re killing pride, it will kill us. Humility increases as we move closer to the Lord.
David was confronted of his sin by Nathan the prophet. He repented (Psalm 51) and was forgiven, but there were still consequences of his sin. How we respond when we are confronted about our sin reveals who we really are. We need to own our sin, repent and surrender. Then there will be forgiveness and restoration.
Some people waste their implosion, while others use it to turn to the Lord and turn their lives around. When we uncover the sin our implosion it is covered by Christ.
We continue to hear about implosions, whether in the news or in our close circle of friends and acquaintances. We should never say that that couldn’t happen to us. We can’t keep ourselves from falling. Instead we need deep dependence on the Lord.
This is a helpful and timely book. It would be a good one to read with a friend.
In this book, the author uses King David’s implosion story. You know, the one who was a man after God’s heart. The one who slayed Goliath. And the one who would later commit adultery and murder. The first half of the book is about David’s implosion. The second half is about his confession, forgiveness and restoration.
Although it is King David’s implosion story that we hear about, the author writes that we are all disqualified, save for the grace of God. None of us are above an implosion. But an implosion doesn’t need to be the end of our story. Sin doesn’t need to be tamed, but slain. It can lead to self-destruction. But God’s grace is greater than our sin.
The author tells us that there are three things that will lead to an implosion:
• Isolation
• Boredom
• Pride
If you want to implode, chose isolation, independence and escapism over community.
Boredom can cause a holy discontent. Isolation and boredom weakened David’s foundation of character and were fueled by pride. Entitlement goes up when pride goes up. Pride fuels entitlement. The opposite of pride is humility. Pride was the first sin to take root in David’s heart. It is also the first sin to take root in our heart as well.
The author looks at pride in the life of King Uzziah. He tells us that unless we’re killing pride, it will kill us. Humility increases as we move closer to the Lord.
David was confronted of his sin by Nathan the prophet. He repented (Psalm 51) and was forgiven, but there were still consequences of his sin. How we respond when we are confronted about our sin reveals who we really are. We need to own our sin, repent and surrender. Then there will be forgiveness and restoration.
Some people waste their implosion, while others use it to turn to the Lord and turn their lives around. When we uncover the sin our implosion it is covered by Christ.
We continue to hear about implosions, whether in the news or in our close circle of friends and acquaintances. We should never say that that couldn’t happen to us. We can’t keep ourselves from falling. Instead we need deep dependence on the Lord.
This is a helpful and timely book. It would be a good one to read with a friend.
May 29, 2018
We can't escape the news about people imploding their lives these days. But Eric Geiger wants to help us put up some guards to keep us focused on God, and to keep us in a place where we are less likely to implode. We've begun to listen to the voice of the world rather than the voice of God.
Eric Geiger recognized this dilemma and has written a book to help us realize the things that cause us to implode, and how to recognize the warning signs so we can move back towards God and a place of safety.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Geiger walks through the story of David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11. It was an incredibly important reminder that even though David was a man after God's own heart and yet he still managed to implode his life and drastically alter the lives of several others around him.
Geiger explains the issues that David faced that caused him to commit sin and turn his back on God. But Geiger reminds us that David did not stay there. When confronted, David immediately confessed his sin, surrendered himself back to God, then turned towards rejoicing and looking towards God for guidance once again.
As I read How to Ruin Your Life, I found myself examining my current status as I read. I examined my life and the way I have surrounded myself with a community. Rather than looking outwards towards others-focused circumstances, Geiger points us back inwards to our relationship with God.
Geiger walks through this book explaining how you can ruin your life. I found looking at things through this lens helped me to better understand the pitfalls that should be avoided. It also pointed out missing links and where things needed to be bolstered.
I think this book will be an important read for generations to come.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review is my own, honest opinion.
Eric Geiger recognized this dilemma and has written a book to help us realize the things that cause us to implode, and how to recognize the warning signs so we can move back towards God and a place of safety.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Geiger walks through the story of David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11. It was an incredibly important reminder that even though David was a man after God's own heart and yet he still managed to implode his life and drastically alter the lives of several others around him.
Geiger explains the issues that David faced that caused him to commit sin and turn his back on God. But Geiger reminds us that David did not stay there. When confronted, David immediately confessed his sin, surrendered himself back to God, then turned towards rejoicing and looking towards God for guidance once again.
As I read How to Ruin Your Life, I found myself examining my current status as I read. I examined my life and the way I have surrounded myself with a community. Rather than looking outwards towards others-focused circumstances, Geiger points us back inwards to our relationship with God.
Geiger walks through this book explaining how you can ruin your life. I found looking at things through this lens helped me to better understand the pitfalls that should be avoided. It also pointed out missing links and where things needed to be bolstered.
I think this book will be an important read for generations to come.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review is my own, honest opinion.
May 2, 2018
Geiger's spiritual guidance book on how NOT to ruin your life is on point. It was arresting in that his three basic principals for the insighting moment(s) of ruin in a person's life were not only true but apply to everyone.
I liked that this book is brutally honest yet also hopeful & empowering.
Geiger's voice initially comes off as preachy and doomsday, but give it at least the first few chapters and I promise you it will be worth the read.
I liked that this book is brutally honest yet also hopeful & empowering.
Geiger's voice initially comes off as preachy and doomsday, but give it at least the first few chapters and I promise you it will be worth the read.
November 14, 2018
Taking the life of David, this is an excellent resource when mentoring young adults. He takes three areas, isolate yourself, ignoring boredom, and believing in yourself, showing how these three led to David's implosion. The choices we make today affect not just our personal life but the lives of others.
He wraps up the book sharing how God's grace and redemption in our failures, as He did with David, brings us back to Him.
He wraps up the book sharing how God's grace and redemption in our failures, as He did with David, brings us back to Him.
July 3, 2023
Great book on moral implosion, covering ways to avoid it,
1. Don’t isolate yourself.
2. Don’t give into boredom.
3. Don’t believe in yourself.
and how to rise back up even after ruining your life:
“When we are broken before [Christ], He makes us whole. When we offer our sin, He takes it away. When we humble ourselves, He lifts us up.” (154)
1. Don’t isolate yourself.
2. Don’t give into boredom.
3. Don’t believe in yourself.
and how to rise back up even after ruining your life:
“When we are broken before [Christ], He makes us whole. When we offer our sin, He takes it away. When we humble ourselves, He lifts us up.” (154)
March 28, 2020
Excellent book about how NOT to ruin your life, and like the title says, how to start over if you do. Many lessons from King David. I think anyone could benefit from this book. If you're looking for a book that increases your self awareness, and your awareness of God, this book is for you!
August 11, 2022
Ruin does not happen over night, it is a progression of decisions that we make. Eric Geiger looks at the life of David for warning and hope to those who are either on their way to a wrecked life or they find themselves in the midst of ruined life. Easy read, yet very impactful.
April 3, 2018
Must Read
I was challenged and encouraged by this book. This book is needed for all leaders and those in any ministry setting.
I was challenged and encouraged by this book. This book is needed for all leaders and those in any ministry setting.
May 10, 2018
E V E R Y O N E should read this book
June 20, 2018
4.5 stars
January 1, 2024
Geiger is Captivating with words and keeps you on your toes. He takes the familiar implosion of David’s adultery and exposits how one can look out for, prevent, or rebound from an implosion.
July 20, 2024
Convicting yet Inspiring. If you are in a men’s group looking for a study to go through, this should be one you consider.
September 16, 2024
Highly recommend!!!
November 13, 2020
It is not uncommon to hear about the fall of a leader or Christian brother/sister. Responses almost always vary depending on ones view of the individual prior to the public fall as well as ones view of themselves and their own susceptibility to fall. In this book, Geiger walks through the story of David and Bathsheba and draws out three key factors in the implosion of ones life that leads to such a fall: (1) isolation; (2) boredom; and (3) pride. Geiger is helpful in providing encouragement to resist these out falls. Additionally, Geiger provides a helpful guide for how to respond after falling. Geiger’s advice on responding is helpful for any son, not only major sin. The book is extremely accessible and is a valuable resource for Christians to evaluate areas where they may be vulnerable to falling and building themselves up in those areas.
September 20, 2018
In our culture, we are seeing a significant amount of men who have had incredible amounts of influence, lose it all because of hundreds and thousands of compromises in their lives. Eric Geiger does a great job walking the reader through the story of David, Uriah, and Bathsheba and how the implosion of David can be related to the implosion going on within the church.
Geiger lays out that there are three things to look out for in your life to keep from imploding:
Isolating Yourself
Being Bored
Having No Accountability
If you see all of these characteristics in yourself, chances are you are on the verge on an implosion. Geiger doesn’t just leave it there, however, he talks about how to get out of an imploding lifestyle and what to do when your life implodes.
This book is a super easy read and I would highly recommend it for everyone to read!
Geiger lays out that there are three things to look out for in your life to keep from imploding:
Isolating Yourself
Being Bored
Having No Accountability
If you see all of these characteristics in yourself, chances are you are on the verge on an implosion. Geiger doesn’t just leave it there, however, he talks about how to get out of an imploding lifestyle and what to do when your life implodes.
This book is a super easy read and I would highly recommend it for everyone to read!
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