A Really Good Recipe
I am the kind of person that loves a good recipe. Unfortunately I don’t look for real healthy stuff. You see I love pies! So I look for really good recipes for pies. I love cherry pie, apple pie, pecan pie, etc… but I must admit, that having been born and raised in Florida, the pie that I love the most is key lime pie.
Now that we have established the fact that I am a pie junkie you understand that I am on the prowl for good pie recipes. How else can I enjoy a good pie without a good recipe? In Stockholm Sweden I can’t just walk into the local bakery and buy a key lime pie. I have to make it. It takes time to follow the directions and make a pie from scratch, but it is worth the time once you get the chance to eat it.
I see life in the same way. In order to enjoy a good pie you have to have a good recipe and follow it. In order to really enjoy life you need a good recipe and you need to follow it. When it comes to life, the recipe book I go to is the oldest one I know of. Most of us have this particular recipe book in our house but we don’t read it like we should. It is often sitting on a shelf getting very dusty. The recipe book I am talking about is the...Bible.
There are many recipes for a good life in the Bible but the one I was thinking about today has actually been called, “an ancient recipe for a happy life.”[1] It comes from the Old Testament, Psalm 34:12-16 and Paul quotes it in the New Testament in 1 Peter 3:10-12. Are you ready for a recipe for a happy life? It goes like this, “If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Even though most people would say that they want to live a happy life, I would guarantee that if you asked them if they were really doing it, they would answer no.
One Doctor who works in the area of psychiatry wrote this, “I have had millionaire businessmen come to my office and tell me they have big houses, yachts, condominiums in Colorado, nice children, a beautiful mistress, an unsuspecting wife, secure corporate positions and suicidal tendencies. They have everything this world has to offer except one thing, inner peace and joy. They come to my office as a last resort, begging me to help them conquer the urge to kill themselves...” [2]
Now, are these people that this doctor describes, really happy? No, they are not! But don’t they have everything that most people would agree will give us happiness? Yes they do! But it is obvious after hearing this that these things will simply not bring us happiness.
Now look back at 1Peter 3:8-12 and notice what is says in verse 10. “For whoever would love life and see good days...” Is Peter talking with you and me today? I don’t know about you but in a world that is full of pain and injustice my eyes notice these words and my heart says yes that is what I desire. I want to love life and see good days and the Psalmist goes farther and says, many, good days. Now what about us, how many of us are interested in this recipe?
So what is the recipe for a happy life? It is found in non-retaliatory living.
This recipe is totally different then what we hear today in the world. In the world we live in might makes right. The idea is if you strike me than I strike you even harder. Now you might think that I’m exaggerating some but I don’t think so. This is the way we live. At one time or another we have all been guilty of this. But the Lord is saying here that we no longer have to live this way. There doesn’t need to be any retaliation. In fact the victory is not in the striking back as we once thought. The victory is not in retaliating. The victory is living in peace with others. My job when I am offended is not to speak evil but to turn from it, and to do good to my offenders and seek peace.
[1] Hiebert Edmond D. “First Peter An expositional Comentary”, Chicago, Moody Press, 1984, Pg. 201
[2] Minirth, Frank B. and Meier, Paul D., “Happiness is a Choice”, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book house, 1978, Pg. 13.
I am the kind of person that loves a good recipe. Unfortunately I don’t look for real healthy stuff. You see I love pies! So I look for really good recipes for pies. I love cherry pie, apple pie, pecan pie, etc… but I must admit, that having been born and raised in Florida, the pie that I love the most is key lime pie.
Now that we have established the fact that I am a pie junkie you understand that I am on the prowl for good pie recipes. How else can I enjoy a good pie without a good recipe? In Stockholm Sweden I can’t just walk into the local bakery and buy a key lime pie. I have to make it. It takes time to follow the directions and make a pie from scratch, but it is worth the time once you get the chance to eat it.
I see life in the same way. In order to enjoy a good pie you have to have a good recipe and follow it. In order to really enjoy life you need a good recipe and you need to follow it. When it comes to life, the recipe book I go to is the oldest one I know of. Most of us have this particular recipe book in our house but we don’t read it like we should. It is often sitting on a shelf getting very dusty. The recipe book I am talking about is the...Bible.
There are many recipes for a good life in the Bible but the one I was thinking about today has actually been called, “an ancient recipe for a happy life.”[1] It comes from the Old Testament, Psalm 34:12-16 and Paul quotes it in the New Testament in 1 Peter 3:10-12. Are you ready for a recipe for a happy life? It goes like this, “If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”
Even though most people would say that they want to live a happy life, I would guarantee that if you asked them if they were really doing it, they would answer no.
One Doctor who works in the area of psychiatry wrote this, “I have had millionaire businessmen come to my office and tell me they have big houses, yachts, condominiums in Colorado, nice children, a beautiful mistress, an unsuspecting wife, secure corporate positions and suicidal tendencies. They have everything this world has to offer except one thing, inner peace and joy. They come to my office as a last resort, begging me to help them conquer the urge to kill themselves...” [2]
Now, are these people that this doctor describes, really happy? No, they are not! But don’t they have everything that most people would agree will give us happiness? Yes they do! But it is obvious after hearing this that these things will simply not bring us happiness.
Now look back at 1Peter 3:8-12 and notice what is says in verse 10. “For whoever would love life and see good days...” Is Peter talking with you and me today? I don’t know about you but in a world that is full of pain and injustice my eyes notice these words and my heart says yes that is what I desire. I want to love life and see good days and the Psalmist goes farther and says, many, good days. Now what about us, how many of us are interested in this recipe?
So what is the recipe for a happy life? It is found in non-retaliatory living.
This recipe is totally different then what we hear today in the world. In the world we live in might makes right. The idea is if you strike me than I strike you even harder. Now you might think that I’m exaggerating some but I don’t think so. This is the way we live. At one time or another we have all been guilty of this. But the Lord is saying here that we no longer have to live this way. There doesn’t need to be any retaliation. In fact the victory is not in the striking back as we once thought. The victory is not in retaliating. The victory is living in peace with others. My job when I am offended is not to speak evil but to turn from it, and to do good to my offenders and seek peace.
[1] Hiebert Edmond D. “First Peter An expositional Comentary”, Chicago, Moody Press, 1984, Pg. 201
[2] Minirth, Frank B. and Meier, Paul D., “Happiness is a Choice”, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book house, 1978, Pg. 13.
Read more!
posted by Forrest Hendrix @ 1:18 PM
3 comments
