1 Peter 3:10-12(NLT) “For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Psalm 118:24 (NLT) "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. "
Am I the only person who gets annoyed with people who are happy all the time? I can think of a whole host of reasons why they frustrate me. One is the guilt I feel when I’m around them. I seem to find a lot of reasons to complain. To safeguard these feelings and not overwhelm too many others, I’ve learned over time to complain internally or to a few select people who can handle my intensity. I tend to have very strong opinions and high levels of expectation. This means that I live with a constant, low-grade frustration that things are not as they should be.
Let me share a quick example. One day earlier this year, I was taking the kids to school. I’d planned my whole morning. I woke up on time. I had a great time reading the Bible and praying. I worked out, then showered. I had a high-protein, low-carb breakfast. With great expectations for the day, I prayed for the kids on the way to school and blessed them as I dropped them off.
I was headed to our weekly staff prayer meeting. The previous week I had laid into our staff about being late for staff prayer. We bring God our best, right? Low on the compassion, high on the challenge.
After I dropped off the kids and rounded the corner, I noticed that I-85, the major interstate by my house, was jam-packed. My trusted Waze app said that I would still make it by 8:55. I preferred to wing it, so I took another route. Long story short, I was late for staff prayer. I walked into the meeting as humbled as I have been in a long period of time. It ruined my morning.
Sometimes I’m so annoyed with my lack of happiness and the notion that contentment seems to always elude me. Don’t we all look for happy days? We want the good life. In this passage Peter quotes Psalm 34, which was written 1,000 years earlier. The pursuit of happiness, evident throughout history, is still going strong today.
The whole world had its happiness shaken in the midst of COVID-19. How in the world am I supposed to be happy when I am stuck inside the four walls of my home, and it’s raining outside? I can’t even go to the grocery store without a spacesuit on. I haven’t been alone with my wife without kids for three months. Happiness? Don’t think so…
When we are stuck in less-than-ideal circumstances, we have several options. We can fight against the situation and use all our energy to bang our heads against the wall, we can try to outsmart the thing that we can’t change, or, we can change our definition of happiness.
The longer I live, the more I realize that the kind of happiness the Bible is talking about is much more like what we describe as satisfaction. For me, it has to flow from a different metric. Peter says, “the eyes of the Lord watch over those who do what is right.”
Not sure if that gives you comfort or creeps you out. There are eyes watching you throughout the day. These are the same eyes that burn with love and compassion for you. These eyes are not looking to curse. Just the opposite. The eyes of the Lord are looking to bless. He’s trying to find people to strengthen and support.
I started a new practice recently. When I lay my head down on the pillow, I try to think back through my day. I recall decisions I made, words I spoke, my attitude as I interacted with others. I think through the work I accomplished when no one was looking. I think of the moments I wanted to say something sarcastic or hurtful and how the Holy Spirit gave me the wisdom to hold my tongue.
The other day, I lost my temper with my kids. Too much to get into here, but let’s just say I was in my garage yelling like a toddler who had his toy truck taken from him. I kept pounding home this point: “Why can’t you just get along?” It was not one of my finer moments. I had to humble myself and apologize to the kids, go on a prayer walk, and talk to a few godly friends who helped restore me.
As I was praying, these words of John’s came to mind, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” It felt as though God—without excusing my anger—was re-affirming my attempts to make deposits into my kids’ lives over the last 14 years of parenting.
In that moment my soul was happy, not because of my perfection or ability to get it right; I was happy because the gracious God of the universe let me know that He sees me. He’s taking all my messes and He’s combining them with His grace and my deep desire to please Him in order to knit together a life that blesses His heart.
Our brokenness can cause us to lose HOPE. God wants you to know today that He sees your desire to do what’s right. For some it’s very embryonic. He is way more concerned with trajectory than size. He can take whatever level of trust and obedience you give Him and work with it. He wants to bless you and form you into a person of integrity, but you have to let Him work with you.
Choose today to do what’s right. Own it when you mess up, and let those mess-ups push you further into His grace. Say you’re sorry, and ask for forgiveness. Ask Him to help you change. When He helps you succeed, give Him glory. And when you lay your head down tonight, look back with satisfaction, knowing that your friendship with Jesus grew today.
Father, I’m so grateful for your kindness. Please help us become men and women of integrity. Help us keep our mouths from evil. Help us do good today and live for you. Please take our messes and make something beautiful.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“…the gracious God of the universe let me know that He sees me. He’s taking all my messes and He’s combining them with His grace and my deep desire to please Him in order to knit together a life that blesses His heart.”
It’s a real comfort to me to know that God is gracious, loving, and forgiving. My drive for “perfection” {Enneagram 1, here} can leave me feeling incredibly disappointed with myself and with the assumption that God must be pretty disappointed in me too. It leads to a lot of shame.
Knowing that He wants to bless my life, that His grace covers my mistakes, and that He sees my deep desire to please Him helps me take a deep breath and rest in His love.
What a great reminder as I think about starting my day. Woke up feeling not very rested. Before reading this I prayed for strength. Thinking about reflecting on my day before I go to bed tonight changes the way I see my day going.
Praying for gratitude and patience today.
Glad to be reminded of Gods grace, and to examine myself. I will ask what would Jesus do before I say something negative this helps me not to do my will. Also glad to be reminded that Jesus watches over us and to be mindful not to do evil.
Thank you for your honesty hahahhha I have been through many trials in my life so I try to be happy and smile a lot because I know what pain and mental anguish feels like. And I notice people get frustrated like why is this guy so happy. when I fear or worry I find comfort in Jesus and Psalm 91 or the book of Joshua tells me what Gods warriors are capable of have a great day thanks for sharing…..
I am so grateful that God gives us correction and direction on the one hand, and compassion and comfort on the other. When I am feeling self-righteous and complacent, He humbles me and shows me a better way. When I am drowning in feelings of guilt, He shows me his mercy. And he knows just what I need at each moment!
Thank you Pastor Andy! And yes, I empathize completely. As a parent of 4 kids, I need God’s guidance and help every day to make it through, and very rarely is there a day without mistakes. It’s a struggle for sure, but something I work on, and pray for … many thanks for this beautiful reminder. God Bless!
God uses parenting trials in my life as well.
“He can take whatever level of trust and obedience you give Him and work with it. He wants to bless you and form you into a person of integrity, but you have to let Him work with you.”
So grateful that God can take my weak faith and my small steps toward him and make great things.
I pray for my son to be able to find true happiness in God
I can relate. The tension of trial and difficulty and the quest to live with joy and gratitude sometimes is very difficult.
Reminded today that God understands and is gracious toward our weaknesses.
Meditating right now on the choices I will have today and along God in advance for the strength to choose the paths that honor him.
Amen. Happiness is measured differently in the Kingdom. It’s a steadfast, internal joy because of God’s love for us – not an ever-changing, dependent external satisfaction in our life circumstances. Father, would you help us to have joy in you ALWAYS and to emanate that joy in meaningful ways to those around us.
Psalm 118:24 (NLT) “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” – My mom always quoted this verse for me and now that I’m older when I’m having an exceptional day I will say it aloud to praise Jesus. Reading this verse reminds me that each day is a new beginning for me to serve the lord and look for all of the great things he has done for me.
“the eyes of the Lord watch over those who do what is right.” – Amen! Press on in Jesus.
Thank you Pastor
1 Peter 3:10-12(NLT) “For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Lord, I pray that you guard my heart so my tongue and lips can be honoring to you when I am frustrated with one of my 4 children, and to use it to encourage my wife rather then pulling her down. Show me Grace when I make mistake and to own it and ask for forgiveness to my family. Amen
I confess that I am struggling with the hope project. I read it every day, pray over the words, and they do speak to me, but there has been difficulty searching and clinging for hope in our day to day hour by hour lives. Perhaps I need to focus on future hope and allow more mourning to occur and pass, to let go and endure, trying to find joy in pain and frustration. The world expects us to behave like nothing is different, but everything is different.
The annointing of Joy. And the prayer of the righteous availeth much. The children of the righteous are blessed. And we are made righteous by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus at the cross. Taking our eyes off ourself and fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. His grace supplies not demand. Thank u Pastor Andy for reminding us that His eyes watches over us by the windows longing with love!
Thank you very much for sharing, I learned a lot from your article. Very cool. Thanks. nimabi