Q&A with Eric Geiger

Author of the forthcoming book How to Ruin Your Life: And Starting Over When You Do

In a nutshell, can you tell us what readers will find in How to Ruin Your Life?

The story of king David’s tragic implosion that impacted the rest of his life and the story of the grace and forgiveness he found in the Lord. Readers will learn from both his fall and his repentance.

What was your motivation for writing on this topic? For whom did you write?

After seeing many leaders and believers make horrific choices, lose their leadership because of character implosion, and generally ruin their lives, I gave a challenge to our team at Lifeway where I begged them to learn from the story of David. After giving the challenge, several people encouraged me to turn the content into a book—that they found the message and the challenge both sobering and encouraging.

Why did you choose David as a key Biblical example?

In David’s fall we see he was isolated, bored, and filled with pride. All three of those sins can multiply and lead to our destruction. Those are the same sins I have heard from people who have admitted what was going on beneath the surface as they imploded.

While we may not be a king like David, how can we relate to him?

He struggled as we struggle. And he was not always king. He did not only live in palaces, but also lived in caves at one point in his life. In fact, he was at his best when he was not in the palace.

What are some of the oft-ignored patterns underneath the surface that will lead to someone’s implosion?

Isolation. Boredom. Pride. When we are surrounded by people who are impressed with us, we are headed for destruction. When we are bored, we are not looking at Christ because He is never boring and always quenches and satisfies. And when we are not looking at Him, we are looking at something else that can pull us to our own demise. When we believe in ourselves and attempt to stand in our own merit and strength, we are setting ourselves up for a fall.

There seems to be lot of people in Hollywood, news media, and prominent churches who are falling from grace lately. Are public examples of  implosion what we can expect in everyday life—are the warning signs and fallout the same?

They should serve as warning signs to our own fragility and not something we look at in pride as if we are better or stronger than others because we are not.

What message do you hope will resonate most with your readers? What is your hope for them after reading How to Ruin Your Life?

My hope is that people who have ruined their lives will find grace and forgiveness and a new start. My hope is for those who have not yet imploded that they will find grace to stand on the firm foundation of Christ.