How To Live Life To The Fullest
I Peter 3:10-12
I know that to some people, living a good life is palm trees and sandy beaches. To some people, it is grease and exhaust fumes and loud race cars. To some people living the good life means playing with your children or grandchildren and enjoying a great meal together. To some people it is the quietness of a good book. Living a good life means different things to different people.
Remember the beer advertisement a few years back where whatever situation they showed, the line was, “Ahhh, it doesn’t get any better than this”? My thought was always: Your have low expectations!
Well, this morning, I want to talk to you about God’s formula for living a good life. God designed life and so I think it would be good for us to take a look at what He says about how to live life to its fullest.
Last week, we saw Peter’s message was to love our wives, love our brothers and sisters in Christ and to love our enemies. We need to be known as a church that loves one another. John 13:35 By this will all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Changing gears and changing directions, Peter goes back to the idea of how Christians are supposed to live in this world. He is going to re-emphasize that message of vs. 1 where we can see people be won to Christ without even saying a word—we can win them by the way we live.
Notice what vs. 10 says, (quoting Psalm 34) “If you desire life, desire love and desire good days…” Well, who wouldn’t want that? To live life to its fullest...to enjoy loving relationships with others…to have a good day – who wouldn’t want that?
I’ve always appreciated what Christ said and meant in John 10:10. He said, “The thief come s to steal and kill and destroy. But I have come that they might have life—life more abundantly.”
That’s the life God wants us to live. The problem is that many Christians live less than abundant lives. Many Christians don’t give the image that they enjoy life. Too many outsiders see Christianity as narrow, bigoted, legalistic, stiff, formalized and old.
The reason they see Christianity that way is that they see Christians that way. Christians point out their sin. Christians point out their immorality. Christians point out their liberal views. But Christians are also hypocritical. Christians are conservative. Christians don’t party like they do. And Christians fight!
But Peter says we need to put a sign outside our church that reads: Come in here and hear a message about how to live life to its fullest, to find loving relationships and have a bunch of good days.
Yes, I’m preaching a prosperity gospel—but it has nothing to do with money!
Yes, I’m preaching a pursuit of happiness gospel—but it has nothing to do with parties.
Yes, I’m preaching a message that tells people how to love life and live it to its fullest!
But read the whole verse.
Love life = the opposite of pessimism vs. 10,11
Ecclesiastes 2:17 Solomon says, “I hated life…” Even with all his wealth and power, Solomon came to realize that he wasn’t happy and he hadn’t experienced life to the fullest. He had women, houses, parties and power. But he hadn’t enjoyed life. “Everything was futile and striving after the wind.” That’s not us…God calls us to enjoy life, to love and see good days…
HOW do we get this full life? How do we get these good days? The Peanuts cartoon showed Lucy philosophizing and Charlie Brown is listening. She says, “Life is a lot like a deck chair. Some people place it to see where they are going. Some people place it to see where they’ve been. And some place it so they can see where they are at the present.” Charlie Brown sighs, “I can’t even get mine unfolded.” Well, folks, this morning I’m going to unfold for you God’s formula for living a full life. It’s right here in
I Peter 3:10-12.
1. Guard your speech
Guard your speech from venom.
Guard your speech from bitterness.
Guard your speech from gossip.
Look back at James 3. Vs. 2-12 talk about how hard it is to tame the tongue…and then vs. 13 talks about showing people godly wisdom by our good behavior—specifically when it comes to controlling the bitterness and jealousy and selfish ambition that usually characterizes an out of control tongue!
ILL.- Someone said, “Usually the first screw that gets loose in a person’s head is the one that controls the tongue.”
ILL.- A young man was sent to Socrates to learn oratory or how to speak. On being introduced to the great philosopher, he talked so much that Socrates asked for double fees. “Why charge me double?” asked the young man.
Socrates replied, “Because I must teach you two sciences: one, how to hold your tongue and the second, how to speak. AND THE FIRST SCIENCE IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.”
Brothers and sisters, if you want to have a good day, then learn to control your speaking! BECAUSE, I GUARANTEE YOU, IF YOU SAY THE WRONG WORDS, YOU WILL HAVE A BAD DAY!
Prov. 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent.”
Prov. 11:12 “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”
Prov. 13:3 “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”
Prov. 15:1 “A gentle answer (or speaking) turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Story - It was his first day on the job. He was a new clerk in the green goods department of a super market. A lady came up to him and said she wanted to buy half of a head of lettuce. He tried to dissuade her from that goal, but she persisted. Finally he said, "I'll have to go back and talk to the manager." He went to the rear of the store to talk to the manager, not noticing that the woman was walking right behind him. When he got into the back of the store, he said to the manager, "There's some stupid old bag out there who wants to buy half a head of lettuce. What should I tell her?" Seeing the horrified look on the face of the manager, he turned about and, seeing the woman, added, "And this nice lady wants to buy the other half of the head of lettuce. Will it be all right?" Considerably relieved, the manager said, "That would be fine." Later in the day, he congratulated the boy on his quick thinking. He then asked, "Where are you from, son?" The boy said, "I'm from Toronto, Canada, the home of beautiful hockey players and ugly women." The manager looked at him and said, "My wife is from Toronto." The boy said, "Oh, what team did she play for?"
When you say the wrong thing, you will have a bad day. So keep your tongue under control.
Take this back to I Peter 3:1 – how can you win your husband? Not by griping and whining. Not by gossiping and backbiting. Not by criticizing and complaining. But by the contented sweetness and the pleasant conversation of a woman who has inner godliness.
Take it back to I Peter 3:7 – husbands, speak to your wife with respect and honor. Speak to her with understanding. Speak to her as a fellow heir of the grace of God.
If you want your life to be full, guard your tongue. If you want your life to be good, guard your lips from deceit and dishonesty. Be known as a person who speaks the truth in a loving way. Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that is will give grace to those who hear.”
Colossians 3:8,9 “Set aside anger, slander and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices.”
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be seasoned with grace as though it was seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to respond to each person.”
The Word of God says that guarding your tongue is the key to living life to its fullest!
We all need to pray about our speaking. Sometimes we just need to pray, “Lord, help me to keep my mouth shut.” Or “Lord, help me to speak only words that heal and bless and encourage and help.”
2. Turn away from evil and do good
I Peter 3:10,11 say that there is a connection between loving life and choosing to turn away from evil. If your life is characterized by bitterness and pessimism and emptiness, it is because you are not purposely avoiding evil! If you want to enjoy life, you’ve got to choose to have a good clean positive speech and choose to run away from sin! This is God’s formula for loving life. This is God’s formula for not being a sour, cantankerous, bitter person.
Vs. 12 backs it up by saying, “God’s blessing comes to those who choose righteousness, but He is going to be working against you if you choose sin!” That’s the meaning of “God sets his face” It means God is glaring and staring at you because you aren’t doing what He ants! If God is working against you, your life is NOT going to be full! You can’t get much plainer than that, can you?
Choose righteousness. Ephesians 5:8-10 You are children of light—and here is how children of light are supposed to walk or act…
I realize that we don’t always do good or do the right thing even when we know we should. That’s the struggle that we all have with the old man of sin in life.
How can we turn from evil and do good? The Lord is the only answer. HE IS ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE US VICTORY OVER SIN OR OVER THE SINFUL FLESH!
Rom. 7:24-25 “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Christ is our only hope and help for turning from evil and doing good! He is the one who can turn our lives around. And He can give us the strength to do it.
Pray: God, build in me the “want to” for choosing right and the “want to” to avoid evil and the
wisdom to know the difference.
3. Love peace = seek it..pursue it. Vs. 11
Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers”…blessed are those who strive for peace, who try to get other people to live peaceably – AND who talk about how to find peace with God…
Back to James 3. Vs. 18 says that the seed that produces outward righteousness finds its germination in the context of peace. If you want to live righteously, you have to have peace at the core of the plant and the seed of the blossom. Outward righteousness cannot come unless inwardly you want peace among your brothers and sisters in Christ and you are working toward peace among your brothers and sisters in Christ. You can try all you want to make righteousness, but it will only be plastic flowers unless inwardly there is the pursuit of peace.
Vs. 7 if you don’t respect each other your prayers will be hindered.
Vs. 9 you must bless those who curse you so that you will inherit a blessing
Vs. 10 if you want to enjoy life, you have to choose righteousness
Vs. 12 God won’t hear your prayers if you don’t choose good.
Vs. 12 The face of the Lord is against those who choose evil!
That is plain and simple, isn’t it?
Now, the question is whether by faith you will believe what God says and live that way? Or will you continue to choose the things the world says will bring you happiness?
BUT…it all goes back to John 10:10. You won’t find how to live life top its fullest until you try it God’s way. And you won’t enjoy life that is abundant until you find it in Jesus Christ.
