Three Ways Humility Increases My Happiness- Happy & Spiritual Part 2
1. Humility reduces stress.
“The humble will enjoy prosperity and peace.” Psalm 37:11
When I’m humble I don’t have to have all the answers, I realize that the world does not depend on me, I can resign as general manager of the universe. When I’m humble I realize that I don’t have to solve all the problems in the world. When I’m humble I don’t have to fake it. I don’t have to pretend that I’m perfect because God doesn’t demand that I be perfect in order to be happy. I don’t have to play God and assume responsibility that’s not mine.
When I’m humble I can live with the tension between the real and the ideal — the way I want to live my life, the way I want my career to go, the ideal for my family, my marriage, my kids and then reality, the way it really is. There’s always a tension in life between the ideal and the real.
Humility accepts the fact that you can be happy because you’re depending upon God even though things aren’t ideal. You may not have the best job and your marriage may not be perfect.
It reduces stress when I’m humble.
When I become a humble person, when I walk in dependence upon the Lord, it reduces the stress in my life. As the stress goes down the happiness goes up.
2. Humility improves my relationships.
“ Arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” Proverbs 29:23
How many of you love to be around people with big heads? Prideful people are a pain in the …blessed assurance! and a few other parts of the anatomy! Selfish, self centered people are an irritation. Nobody likes to be around them. They wreck relationships. Self centered people are never happy. Never happy! Because they are unhappy they make everybody else unhappy.
They spread all their gloom and doom simply by their egotism.
3 On the other hand, how many of you like to be around humble people? those that don’t think they’re so hot? They aren’t always trying to impress you. When you tell a story they don’t always have to have a better one. When you are humble you get along better with other people. Humility doesn’t mean you think less of yourself, you just think more about others. When you become interested in others you become interesting to others. So you have better relationships when you’re a humble person. You don’t have to be right all the time. And it’s easier for you to say those two hard words, “I’m sorry” or the three hardest words, “I was wrong” or the other three hardest words, “I need help”.
When I’m poor in spirit which means I don’t have to fake it and pretend I’m perfect it reduces my stress and improves my relationships because I am humble enough to ask forgiveness.
It improves my relationships. I find that when I’m full of pride I bruise very easily. I’m very sensitive to other people’s comments. When I’m pumped up, trying to impress people, and someone says something that really shouldn’t bother me, it hurts. It’s like sticking a pin in a balloon.
On the other hand, I’ve discovered, when I’m walking humbly before the Lord and just being who I am, being honest and depending upon God, I’m almost immune to insults. Almost nothing can hurt me. I’m walking before the Lord with the attitude they may be right, they may be wrong, but I’m just trying to please the Lord. If you find someone who is very sensitive to criticism it’s because they haven’t learned this first principle of happiness: Be humble in spirit before the Lord.
3. Humility will give me God’s strength.
Humility releases God’s power in your life. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10
Would you like to have God’s strength in your life? The Bible says that the secret of spiritual power is to walk humbly before the Lord, to realize you have to depend on Him.
I think what this principle here is stating is, the secret of strength is admitting weakness. The secret of power is admitting helplessness. The secret of happiness is humility. The secret of victory is total surrender to God. The secret of independence is dependence upon God.
That means that all that God has to offer is available to the person who walks humbly before the Lord. All that God has to offer is that person’s when we live in dependence before the Lord.
The fact is that everyone of you need Jesus Christ in your life. You need God’s power to make it next week. If you think you don’t, you’ve got something coming. His power is available. And God is waiting to pour out His power on you. But you’ve got to ask. And you’ve got to admit that you need His help. If you walk out of here saying, “I don’t need God in my life this next week to make it” then Good Luck! You’ll have to solve all of your problems on your own power, your own ability, your own strength and then wonder why you’re tired all of the time. When you walk before the Lord and say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Apart from Him I can do nothing, when you have that attitude — then that power will give you supernatural power to work on those problems you can’t changed and you’ve tried, those areas of your life you can’t get control of and you’ve tried, those relationships that are falling apart and you can’t do anything about it. That’s what it means to be poor in spirit.
4 You need God’s power in your life. But it only comes when you humble yourself and say, “God! Help!” The person who says “Help!” is the humble person and the person who is the humble person, God says, “There’s nothing I won’t do for that person! The kingdom of heaven will be theirs.”
Prayer:
Would you pray this prayer in your heart? God, I’m not making it in [and then mention the area]. Maybe, God, I’m not making it as a parent. Or, I’m not making it as a partner. Or, I’m not making it as a professional. And I need Your help in my life. I must decrease and You must increase. I admit my need for Your power in every area of my life. Not just some areas. I need Your power and Your guidance in every area of my life. Today, I humble myself before You. The Bible says, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. … God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble … Before honor is humility.” Those that humble yourself, God lifts us up and gives us power to do what He’s called us to do.
Is there an area of your life you’re trying to get control of and it’s out of control. Say, God, I admit this is not working! I need Your help in every area of my life, including this one.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Darrell
Upwards Church 