On the way to school my youngest daughter sat quietly in the back looking somberly out the window. When I asked her what was her trouble, she simply replied, "I am going to have a bad day. Because when I start a day bad, it always all goes bad, so today is going to be a bad day." I assured her that was not the case and gave her some reassuring words, had prayer with her and then off she was to a day of school.
This got me thinking about our day, a twenty four hour period of which we can never get back. In the US the average lifespan is 78.06 years x 365 days x 24 hours = 683,806 hours in an average lifespan. That may seem like a lot but at the age of 34 I am close to halfway done with life on this earth. Do I really want to waste valuable, precious time on a "bad day"? I think not!
The Bible tells us in I Peter 3:10-11 "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that the speak no guile; Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue it."
I. Life is meant to be Loved!
God gave us this life to enjoy, not endure. I know so many people that seem to just drudge through a day and not enjoy the time they have at hand. Now we are all going to have difficulty and dark times in our life. But I am speaking of daily drudging through our day with no hope or joy in our heart.
We live in a day when happiness is equated with possessions. In a recent survey of children 8 to 18, 66% of kids said that they would be happy to stay home and spend time with their family as apposed to spending a night out on the town. You may think, "They sure didn't ask my kid", but when is the last time you planned a family game night, or spent time together around the dinner table, or the Word of God, or just sat down on your sons or daughters bed and asked how there day went? Love the Life you have!
II. Life is filled with Language!
Day in and day out we are filled with frustrations of life. Mundane tasks seem to at times overwhelm us. Work schedules, ball schedules, special events for the parents, kids, pets - you name it the average American family is under the gun. Many times what happens in these stress filled times? Tempers flare and words are spoken out of anger and not kindness.
"Tongue" is found 136 times in the Bible, but no verse is greater on the tongue that James 3:5 "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"
Peter also deals in our text with the control of our speech. James states it this way in chapter one verse nineteen, " Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:". Our speech can have an adverse effect on our surrounding circumstances. How did the smartest man who ever lived say to deal with controversy or stressful situations? Lash out, give them a piece of our mind, let them have it!- No to the contrary Solomon said this, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." You see, according the the Bible, many times our own speech adds to the Laboriousness of our "bad" days, but we can see "bad" days turn into "good" days when we use a pattern of sound words throughout our day!
In conclusion, let us all determine to have a zest and love for life that truly only Christians can and should have. We allow the cares and affairs of this sin sick world to pull us down and destroy our days. They are destroying our homes or churches and our way of life all because we are letting them.
III. Life is filled with Labor!
I am not talking about work, I am speaking of what Peter declares our real fight and labor should be "eshewing evil, doing good, seeking peace and ensuing it". When is the last time we thought about these three things consuming our day? Before we speak, do we consider these three things. Before we head into a meeting with coworkers or our boss do we consider these three things? Before we go to lunch with some of our friends from work, do we consider these things. Before we sit down to eat with our family do we consider these things? Life is a fight, a daily struggle with our old nature that is seeking to hurt our spiritual new nature.
This may seem like a lot to think about, but are our families worth our labor? If they are worth working a job for, providing for monetarily, are they not worth working for spiritually?
I don't know yet how my little girls day will go today, only the hours will tell. But I am going to do my part, as her dad to ensure that I am having a good day. No matter my circumstance or problems- I am going to seek to have good days.
When you pillow your head tonight and subtract 24 hours from your allotted 683,806 - how will you have spent yours? Good or Bad?
I hope you have a Good Day!
