Why it's okay to love life

In the Christian life, we are so quick to quote scripture that reminds us “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).  “Suffering produces…character” (Romans 5:4).  “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away” (Job 1:21).

True.  God’s word is always true, and it doesn’t take ten minutes of living in the world for this truth to be confirmed.  Life is difficult and complex and sometimes painful.

With this in mind, I think we (meaning “I”) often “sell” the Gospel like this:

“It’s going to be hard, you will not live a perfect life, but it will be worth it when you get to spend eternity in Heaven and know God for the rest of your life on earth.”

Not bad.  Not wrong.  But I read a short phrase in 1 Peter 3 (of course) the other day that made me think differently:

“Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Love life.

Here are direct instructions in God’s Word for how we can love life!  Am I the only one who gets excited about that?!  There have been several times in the last twenty-three years that have caused me to pause and think, “I LOVE life!”  Sometimes it’s in the dramatic moments of connecting on a soul-level with another person or becoming overwhelmed by something in God’s creation.  Other times it’s in the simplicities of every day life like I wrote about yesterday.  But accompanying that feeling is often some small pang of guilt.  Some other thought like, “Well even if I didn’t love life, that would be okay, too, because I have Jesus.  And maybe I shouldn’t love life so much.  Maybe I need to suffer more because there are so many people who don’t have the circumstances or opportunity to love life.”  Or there is that other superficial thought that thinks only people who are standing on the bar at 2:30am say things like “I LOVE life”—and they don’t really mean it.

Despite these thoughts.  Despite the suffering and pain that are inevitable in a fallen world.  We can really love life!  #WAHOO #LEGGO

Salvation is not a formula and life is not an equation, but here is a pretty promising one:

Love Christ  +  Avoid evil  +  Do good  +  Pursue peace  =  Love life

That’s a Gospel I’ll sign up for.