It Starts Small

You know what I love most about waking up? I love having a praise and worship song in my head. I love waking up and my heart is already singing praise before I know it. We all know that little song, if your happy and you know it, clap your hands…. stomp your feet…

This last year has been a really amazing journey. When I learned that happiness is the byproduct of joy, I discovered that there is all together a different kind of happiness. a life long sustaining type of happiness. A happiness not dictated on circumstance or emotion. How do we get and keep the cheerfulness in our heart that sings amazing praises every morning when we wake up?

The secret to happiness is found in the sermon on the Mount. Its often called the Beatitudes. The word “beatitude” means the attitude we need to have everyday. We need to understand that happiness is not a vanity. Miserable people will never be happy until the find joy in the Lord. Just being saved is not enough or a cure for happiness. The Bible is not only good for spiritual food, it is also food for our minds!

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus says “blessed” nine times. He’s saying be filled with joy or happy are you if “________” is true. He gives us 9 things truths and attitudes to have in order for us to experience a true joy and happiness.

#1 Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:3

The first step to being happy is to admit our need. Jesus is saying happy are the poor in spirit. He’s not talking about financially or physically poor. He’s talking about coming to the conclusion, God’s Word is truth about me. The poor in spirit are those who see in themselves no good thing. We are depraved sinners that are spiritually bankrupt. Our hearts are wicked and sinful. We are a broken and contrite spirit.

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Isaiah 66:2

What is a contrite spirit? A contrite spirit is a person who is humbled by their own sins and failures and actively seeking God. God says, when I see this type of person, I come to them and they are my friend. I will stay with that person. I will live with that person. I will make that person my home forever.

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15

God says, I come to dwell with you that I may revive your spirit and heart. Revival isn’t about a preacher coming and meetings at a church. It’s God’s life and spirit being poured into us bringing new life, peace, hope and joy. God doesn’t want outward transactions. He doesn’t accept ritualistic or counterfeit confessions.

 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. Psalm 51:16

God doesn’t want an outward change, he wants an inward transformation. A relationship with God is not transactional. It’s not about checking boxes on a list. We go to church, read our bible, pay our tithes and prayers, but if we are not careful those things become ritualistic. We check the boxes, but there’s no real transformation. I was this sort of person for a very long time. I kept expecting change because, I was checking the boxes. This is not what God wants us to do.

God doesn’t want our stuff or anything we can do for him. He wants our heart. We cant being our our service, worship, time, talents, or even offerings to him until we have first brought our heart. when we lead with our broken heart, this type of sacrifice, God will never turn us away.

We have to see that we are Adam. We have a bankrupt spirit. A great example of a broken spirit is Simon Peter. He was an egotistical man who never experienced joy until he day he said, depart from me Lord, I am not worthy and a sinful man. Paul is another great example. He was a man of high standing. He was wealthy and educated. He was a man that had it all. He speaks about this:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, Philippians 3:8

Poor in Spirit is not walking around slouched, sad, and solemn. It is daily confessing to our Lord that we are bankrupt. There is no good thing about us. The only thing real, lasting and holy about us comes from God. A contrite heart is one in which the natural pride and self-sufficiency have been completely humbled by the consciousness of guilt. Being contrite modifies our heart. Being contrite is the crushing weight of our own conscience to stop justifying wrong choices, awaken to the depth of its depravity, and humbly accepts God’s righteous condemnation of sin. A contrite heart offers no excuses and shifts no blame. A contrite heart enters into an agreement with God about how evil it is. A contrite heart throws itself upon the mercy of God and accepts and knows that it deserves nothing but righteous wrath.

The first step to happiness is to be poor in spirit. Being poor in spirit leads to mourning.