Want to Enjoy the Good Life?

​Sure you do.  Everyone wants to enjoy the good life.  No one wants to wake up and curse the fact that the sun has risen again.

But did you know that it is possible to love life and enjoy good days?  In Psalm 34 the Lord tells us the key to making this happen:

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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. ​

The first key principle to gaining the good life has to do with your lips.  You have to keep your tongue from evil.  How is this done?  Here are a few of the most common methods:

1. Keep your tongue from speaking evil of God -  If we are constantly complaining about what God has done in His daily providence or using His name as an expletive, we shouldn't be surprised if God fills our days with misery.  Speaking about the Lord with the utmost reverence and paying verbal respect to His laws, attributes, and worship will make your days much more delightful.

2.  Keep your tongue from crude or obscene chatter: Vulgar language is a form of blasphemy.  It degrades the good things God has created.  But more than that, base talk stem from a heart that lacks cheerfulness, gratitude, and courtesy.  Fix these core issues and you will see a drastic change for the better.

3.  Keep your tongue from rash promises and empty threats:  Words should mean something.  They are to communicate truth at all times.  They are to be "worth something" just like God's word.  When our speech is true, it has weight with others and can be trusted.  That leads to many good things in life.  

4.  Keep your tongue from gossip and slander:  Good days and loving life are easy when there is less drama.  And that can easily be diminished when you take a tight lipped approach to speaking about others.  Loose lips create all kinds of strife and fill your days with undue hardship.

5.  Keep your tongue from boasting and prideful clamor:  Arrogance is found in overtly speaking well of yourself and in putting down others.  Either way, you inflate yourself over others.  Remember: When you put yourself on a pedestal, you are either ignored or you easily get knocked off.

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