1 Peter 3:10
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:”
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m loving life.” They are usually indicating that everything in their life is going well. They could also be talking about an elevated level of joy because of an activity in which they are participating. In any case, loving life is something that we have all enjoyed at some time.
Loving life is simply elevating the quality of life. Elevating the quality of your life is something anyone would enjoy doing. Yet, most think that elevating the quality of life is done through acquiring possessions or greater finances. In my lifetime I have observed that possessions and finances are not what gives a better quality of life. I have seen people who relatively have very little, yet their quality of life is great. I have seen people who don’t have much money, but they seem to have a greater quality of life than those who have a lot of money. The answer to loving life is not in possessions or finances, but it is in actions. Let me show you how God says we can love life.
First, if you want to love life then don’t speak evil of anyone. My mother used to say, “If you don’t have anything good to say about someone, then don’t say anything at all.” This is a good rule of thumb by which to live if you want to love life. When you go around talking bad about people, you will find that it will cause stress and heartache. Yes, you may get away with saying bad things about people for a little while, but eventually it will catch up to you. Living an elevated level in life will only be done when you learn to say good things about people, and by changing the subject when you don’t have anything good to say about a person.
Second, if you want to love life then be truthful. God says that the person who wants to love life should speak “no guile:” Being deceitful with what you say will always cause you to have to look over your shoulder. When you lie, you will have to cover your lies. When you learn to tell the truth all the time, you will find that you never have to wonder what you said before; thus, you will elevate your enjoyment in life.
Third, if you want to love life then be good to everyone. Verse 11 says, “Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.” One of my previous pastors used to say, “Be good to everybody, because everybody is having a tough time.” This is the golden rule put into one sentence. You should always treat others the way you would want others to treat you. There is an enjoyment that comes from doing good to others.
Friend, God wants you to enjoy life, but your enjoyment of life will only come through the actions you perform. Stop seeking possessions to find enjoyment of life. Certainly possessions can make life easier, but they can also make life more complex. Loving life comes through living an honest life and being good to others. When you are successful with these, you will find yourself loving life.