How to Love Life and See Good Days

Three Biblical Keys to Enjoying the Life God Has Given You

God has given His people precious promises, a living hope, and a new life in Christ. Yet many believers go through their days expecting difficulty rather than expecting the goodness of God.

We hear expressions like, “It’s Monday,” as though the day itself is automatically destined to be bad. We speak negatively about our circumstances, our health, our future, and sometimes even ourselves without realizing how much our words and choices affect the quality of the life we experience.

But the Bible actually gives us instructions for loving life and seeing good days.

First Peter 3:10–12 teaches that the person who desires to love life and see good days must control their tongue, turn away from evil, do good, and seek and pursue peace.

These aren't merely suggestions. They reveal three practical principles for experiencing the kind of life God desires for His people.

1. Talk Right: Refrain Your Tongue From Evil

The first principle is simple:

If you want to see good days, you have to learn to talk right.

Peter says that the person who wants to love life and see good days must “refrain his tongue from evil.”

That means we must become intentional about what comes out of our mouths.

Proverbs 18:21 declares:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Our words produce fruit.

If we continually speak defeat, negativity, sickness, failure, fear, and hopelessness, we should not be surprised when those words begin shaping our attitudes and expectations.

The message is straightforward: you eventually eat the fruit of what you continually speak.

That is why believers cannot afford to speak carelessly.

God says we are blessed. God says we are the head and not the tail. God has spoken promises concerning His people. If we are His ambassadors, then our words should agree with the One we represent.

An ambassador does not have the authority to create his own message. He represents another kingdom and speaks on behalf of the one who sent him.

In the same way, believers are representatives of the Kingdom of God.

We should say what God says.

When circumstances contradict God's promises, our circumstances should not become the final authority over our confession.

Talk differently on purpose.

Speak life on purpose.

Speak God's Word on purpose.

If you want to love life and see good days, begin by changing what you allow your mouth to continually declare.

2. Live Right: Turn Away From Evil and Do Good

Peter's second instruction is:

“Let him turn away from evil and do good.”

In simple terms: live right.

First Peter 4:1–5 explains that because Christ suffered for us in the flesh, believers must arm themselves with the same mindset.

There is a form of suffering involved in telling your flesh no.

The Christian life is not about satisfying every desire simply because we feel it. There are desires, habits, attitudes, and behaviors that must be crucified because we have chosen to live according to the will of God rather than the desires of the flesh.

Before Christ, we spent enough time living according to the ways of the world.

We already know where that road leads.

Now our lives belong to Him.

Other people may not understand why you no longer participate in the things you once participated in. Some may even criticize you because you no longer run with them.

But we were not sent here to please people.

We were created to please God.

Jesus gave His life for us. Therefore, we should be willing to give our lives to Him.

We cannot continually demand all the benefits of God's promises while refusing the lifestyle His Word calls us to live.

There are promises to believe, but there are also instructions to obey.

There are blessings to receive, but there is also flesh to crucify.

There is grace available, but there is also a life we have been called to live.

He died for us. The least we can do is live for Him.

And as we live for Him, our lives become lights that demonstrate the reality of Christ to the world around us.

3. Seek Peace and Pursue It

The third principle Peter gives is:

“Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Peace is more than simply the absence of conflict. Peace can also become an important part of recognizing God's direction for our lives.

Isaiah 55 teaches that God's Word will accomplish what He sends it to accomplish and then says:

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.”

There is something powerful about being led by the peace of God.

Whether the decision seems large or small, we should develop the habit of seeking God's direction.

Where should I go?

When should I move?

Should I take this opportunity?

Is this the right relationship?

Is this the right timing?

Should I move now, or should I wait?

The goal is not simply to get what we want.

The goal is to receive what God wants, God's way, in God's timing.

Don't Let Desire Get Ahead of God's Direction

Sometimes we want something so badly that we begin trying to make it happen ourselves.

But when desire gets ahead of divine direction, we can produce an “Ishmael”—something we obtained through our own efforts rather than waiting for God's timing.

We may eventually get what we wanted and discover that we cannot enjoy it.

Something doesn't feel right.

The excitement we expected isn't there.

The peace isn't there.

Why?

Because getting what you want is not the same thing as receiving what God has for you.

When God is leading, there can be a supernatural peace and joy accompanying His direction.

God's Direction Also Includes God's Timing

This became especially real for our family when God directed us to move from Indiana to Oklahoma.

We were excited about the move. Even the children became excited about what God was doing.

But excitement wasn't enough.

We still needed God's timing.

So instead of immediately packing everything and leaving simply because we believed God had told us to move, we continued seeking Him.

“Lord, when do we leave?”

Because it is possible to hear God's direction correctly and still move at the wrong time.

You can move too soon.

You can also wait too long because you've become comfortable where you are.

We sought God until there was clarity concerning the time frame. Once that timing became clear, we acted.

And when we finally made the move, there was peace.

The lesson was powerful:

God doesn't only care about where you're going. He also cares about when you go.

Direction and timing belong together.

That is why we must learn to seek peace and pursue it.

Don't allow excitement to rush you.

Don't allow fear to stop you.

Don't allow convenience to lead you.

Don't allow other people's opinions to determine your timing.

Let God lead you.

When He says move, move.

When He says wait, wait.

When He says turn, turn.

When He gives you peace, follow that peace.

Because learning to love life and see good days isn't simply about waiting for better circumstances.

It begins with learning to talk right, live right, and follow God's direction in peace.