Eternity Makes a Difference - Resources for Changing Lives - Suffering

Sep 28, 2026

Eternity Makes a Difference addresses spiritual resources for people facing serious suffering, using Mary’s experience of divorce and loss as a central example. It explains how a day-to-day perspective can distort trust in God’s promises, leaving believers feeling discouraged, angry, and unable to pray or endure grief. The booklet teaches that thinking from an eternal perspective helps restore strength, wisdom, freedom, and hope, and it equips readers to respond through Scripture, especially Psalm 73.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages44

Reading Time1 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Eternity Makes a Difference

Resources for Changing Lives

Step 1: Examine Your Focus (Ps. 73:1-12)

SufferingResources for Changing Lives # Eternity Makes a Difference PAUL DAVID TRIPP # SufferingEternity Makes a Difference # Resources for Changing Lives A Ministry of THE CHRISTIAN COUNSELING ANDEDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONGlenside,Pennsylvania RCL Ministry BookletsSusan Lutz,Series Editor # Suffering ## Eternity Makesa Difference Paul David Tripp P U B L I S H I N G PO.BOX 817·PHILLIPSBURG·NEW JERSEY 08865-0817 2001 by Paul David Tripp All rights reserved.No part of this booklet may be re-produced,stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted inany form or by any means—electronic,mechanical,photocopy,recording,or otherwise--except for briefquotations for the purpose of review or comment,with-out the prior permission of the publisher,P&R Publish-ing Company,PO.Box 817,Phillipsburg,New Jersey08865-0817. Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE,NEWINTERNATIONAL VERSION⑧.NIV®.Copyright C1973,1978,1984 by International Bible Society.Usedby permission of Zondervan Publishing House.Allrights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN-10:0-87552-684-5 ISBN-13:978-0-87552-684-3 Mary sat across from me,her arms crossedtightly in front of her."I'’m discouraged,angry,and envious,"she said.She described how herlife had come unraveled as she lost her hus-band,home,and children through divorce. Mary came from a good church and knewthe Bible.But her situation made no sense toher."I have no reason to get up in the morn-ing!”She was jealous toward people whoseemed to do "whatever they please,"yet allwent well with their lives. Most of all she struggled with anger towardGod."How can he say that he loves me?"shecried."Is this the abundant life he promised?Ireally thought that he would meet all myneeds,but here I am—with nothing!I can'tread my Bible,I can’t pray,I can't make itthrough a church service without tears oranger.I look at my life and at the promises ofScripture,and it just doesn't add up!I'm worseoff than the average non-Christian." There is no question that Mary is suffering. 1 But the way she looks at her life robs Mary(and many like her)of the spiritual resourcesshe needs to face a major trial.She lacks thestrength,wisdom,freedom and hope thatcome from grasping a basic biblical fact:though Christ does not promise to restoreMary to her former way of life,he does prom-ise to restore her. What is wrong with Mary's thinking?Iwould say she lacks a perspective on eternity.Most people,regardless of their theology,livefrom day to day without any sense of their eter-nal destiny.It just doesn’t fit the way theythink about their lives.But the Bible says thatit is impossible to understand what God is do-ing or to face hard times successfully if the re-ality of eternity is missing from the picture. If you are a person who is suffering,or try-ing to help someone who is,learning how tothink from an eternal perspective can offer youwisdom and encouragement.Without it,at-tempts to comfort can fall flat.They seem ir-relevant and inadequate,and insensitive todifficult circumstances. Psalm 73¹is one place where the Bibleteaches us how to look at life from an eternalperspective.Asaph,the writer,describes a fa-miliar experience:we look around and see bad guys prospering and good guys suffering.Peoplewho do not know and love God,who in manyways live selfish,arrogant lives,seem to be en-joying lives free of burdens.Meanwhile,be-lievers suffer. Who of us has not wondered,"What iswrong with this picture?"Is God good to hispeople?Are his promises reliable?Then howdo I understand what is going on around me? Psalm 73 goes right to the heart of thispainful question.It gives us four practical waysto respond to our own difficult circumstancesand to encourage others who are struggling tounderstand theirs. Step 1:Examine Your Focus(Ps.73:1-12) Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me,my feet had almostslipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied th

FAQs

Why does the booklet emphasize an eternal perspective during suffering?

Because facing hard times successfully requires the reality of eternity; without it, attempts to understand God’s work and to comfort others can feel irrelevant or inadequate.

What problem does the author identify in Mary’s thinking?

Mary lacks a perspective on eternity, which leads her to measure life only by immediate circumstances rather than biblical promises.

How does Psalm 73 relate to understanding suffering?

Psalm 73 confronts the painful question of why wicked people prosper while believers suffer, and it provides practical ways to respond to difficult circumstances.

Sep 28, 2026

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