ByEvery person on this Earth doesn’t want to live a miserable life filled with struggles here and there. And God knows that. In fact, He didn’t create anybody to struggle. Even in the garden of Eden, He created everything man will ever need to enjoy life as he served Him before creating the first man. Today, things are a lot different. People work so hard for meagre salaries. And citizens of countries are also complaining about bad governance. It’s clear that many live but don’t love the life they are living.
As far as I know, God’s principles work no matter the changing seasons in this life. He inspired David to say what you must do if you want to love life and see good days in Psalm 34:14-17. And the ‘good days’ mentioned in those scriptures aren’t merely about physically living comfortably but also enjoying a rich spiritual life. Peter quoted this verse in 1 Peter 3:10-12 to reiterate its importance to everybody. And today, we’re going to look into it.
Life can be enjoyable, but not without following these principles. Let’s dive in.
Verse 10
For “He who would love life
1 Peter 3:10 (NKJV)
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.”
So in this verse alone, Peter says if you want to love life and see good days, refrain your tongue from evil and don’t speak deceit. They’re simple principles. Right? What do they mean to their core?
Refrain your tongue from evil
Did you know the tongue is a dangerous part of the human body? It doesn’t have any bone in it, yet it can throw one’s life into despair in minutes based on how it’s used. James 3:6 (NKJV) says,
[6] “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.”
So, if you want to love life, God says it’s better to keep quiet (refrain) than to use your tongue to utter evil things. You and I know that words carry power. So, with this in perspective, watch what you say.
Thoughts come and go; some good, some evil. But filter them with the help of God’s Word and keep speaking well of others, no matter how bad they treat you.
Keep your lips from speaking deceit
Second, in that verse, keeping your lips from speaking deceit (lies) is also a prerequisite attitude for anyone who wants to love life and see good days. Many people have ended up in tight situations, even prison, for lying. So you see how dangerous lying is?
The devil is a liar. But he enjoys lying because it’s his nature. So when he suggests lying thoughts to you merely to have your way or escape a God-ordained tribulation in life, don’t look at the euphoria of its presentation in your head and submit to it. No! It’s a trap for the enemy to open you up to sin. Meanwhile, God commands us to be holy in all manner of our conversations (1 Peter 1:15).
Verse 11
[11] “Let him turn away from evil and do good;
– 1 Peter 3:11 (NKJV)
Let him seek peace and pursue it.”
Let him turn away from evil and do good
Third on the list of what you must do if you want to love life and see good days is turning away from evil and doing good. In other words, the one who wants to love his life in a godly way must always make up his mind to do good and hate evil to its core.
Let him seek peace and pursue it
Lastly, such an one must seek peace and pursue it. For David to use the word ‘seek,’ it means it costs to look for peace among the people you live with. It’s not always easy living with a controversial person. But God’s Word says to seek and pursue peace. Wow!
It’s mainly offence that separates people. So, as far as possible, desire to live peaceably with everyone (see Romans 12:18). Put your differences aside and work on unity.
Verse 12
“For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
1 Peter 3:12 (NKJV)
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, always alway. His eyes never leave them. So, if you’re born again, you’re under God’s watch. So live well, and the Lord will be your master guide.
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