Life is Good

Our culture in this fallen world tries to convince us that the “good life” – the life we will most enjoy – comes from pursuing pleasure. Nevertheless, God’s biblical commands often stand in stark contrast to pursuing pleasure, so God can seem like a cosmic killjoy who wants to hinder our pursuit of the good life.

By asking us to follow His commands, God is not trying to prevent us from living the good life; He is trying to prevent us from falling victim to dangers He knows can harm us. As our loving Father, God wants what is best for us – the ultimate “good life” – and that is only possible when we recognize the love behind His commands and start following them.

Sometimes, we need to be confronted with our inadequacies, sin and weaknesses and encouraged to restore our relationship with God and with other people. All the laws given were summarized in two laws by Jesus, He said, The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: "Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these.

We need to understand that God loves us too much to leave us without help to overcome sin, because sin can hurt and destroy us. God intends for us to keep growing in holiness, which will lead to greater freedom in the process.

To live the good life, we need to realize that no matter what circumstances we are currently going through, we can choose to be respond with gratitude and joy. While our feelings constantly change just as our circumstances do, we can always count on God to give us the gratitude and joy we need to transcend our feelings and manage difficult situations in faithful ways. 

We should never give up on our friends and family. Be willing to act in their best interests, work through conflicts, and forgive. When we love others with a committed love, they can experience a taste of God’s justice and mercy in their relationships with us. 

Recognize that sin can damage our health by leading us to make self-destructive choices, but faithfulness can improve our health by motivating us to make healthy choices. Pray for the strength to make healthy choices such as eating nutritiously, exercising regularly, thinking positively, worshipping frequently, practicing good hygiene, getting enough sleep, and resting regularly to reflect and pray.

The good life is available to all who desire it. However, we need to look for it in the right place. It is not found in material things, money, fame, or even personal happiness. The good life can be found only in relationship with Jesus Christ. We must accept for ourselves the grace that God so lavishly offers. As we grow in grace, it should flow through us and touch those around us through the good works we do and the good behaviour we displace.