Healthy Living

The Love of Life

by Terry Barlow
04/30/14
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The Apostle Peter was coming in loud and clear this morning thanks to the Holy Spirit quickening this part of his epistle for me and my wife as we considered it together. (1 Peter 3)  To love life is a concept that has attracted me since I first heard it. To love life to the extent that we embrace it. And to embrace it so much that we enjoy it. Seems simple enough yet there are precious few alive today who really love life! This ought to be the earmark of the believer in Jesus. A handful only can truly be said to enjoy their lives. Can those be the ones entering at the narrow gate? What is more the norm is the multitude along the broad way that are enduring their lives until those rare patches where they can actually enjoy a moment or an hour or two. There is a dark storm cloud hovering over the broad way, and it's about to burst unexpectedly upon the world. But back to this idea of loving life and seeing good days whether apparent or not. One can love life while seeing or experiencing a day where there doesn't APPEAR to be any good. Nothing good seems to appear but the beholder still sees a good day because that one is beholding the bigger picture with the eyes of faith! And beholding good that doesn't seem to be there on the surface enables the beholder to remain at peace even in what may be alarming circumstances. Our spiritual enemy is offended by peace, especially by peace in tumultuous situations. What often happens when one is offended. That offended one stomps off to what are considered better "stomping grounds." What is a further key to this longed for love of life? Simply restraining one's tongue. Easier said (or unsaid) than done but yet true. Hold your peace as the Bible says since peace often leaks out with the words we thoughtlessly or idly speak. And not only that but turn away from evil (pornography soft or hard, for example) and do good instead. Do a good deed as you seek peace. But don't merely seek peace as you hold your tongue but pursue it. And don't merely pursue it but pursue it eagerly, which is like saying to REALLY GO AFTER IT! But we need to ask for the grace of God to be able to do that. And let us remember as we go that love is more than a gift or even an expression of fruit, love is a WAY. Love is a way of life, love is THE way of life. Love is the way of life that LOVES LIFE because it loves people, because God, by far the best people lover, has planted that love in us.