THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
Warsaw Christian Church, Richard Bowman, Pastor Emeritus
Text: Matthew 5:1-12
We all enjoy a good laugh. I shared these recently in one of the daily devotionals I sent out during the height of the Coronavirus scare. In case you missed them, here they are again. I like some of the bulletin announcements that circulate. One bulletin said, “Don’t let worry kill you - - - let the church help.” Or this: “The couple was married on June 15th. So ends a friendship that began in elementary school.” Here’s one for the choir: “Next Thursday, there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.” Here’s one for me. “The pastor will be preaching his farewell sermon on Sunday, after which the choir will sing ‘Break forth with Joy.’” One last one: “Due to the pastor’s illness, the Wednesday evening healing services will be discontinued until further notice.”
I suppose everyone wants to be happy. I have yet to find a person who says, “I want to be sad and miserable.” There are sad and miserable people, but those in that condition wish they could find a way out. They would prefer to be happy. If you were asked, “What one thing that you now lack would make you happy?” how would you answer? Some would think a ton of money would make them happy. Others might think a different spouse would make them happy. A new job (or just a job) might be what some people believe would bring happiness.
I wonder how many would think, “If I could just be poor in spirit (humble), then I would be happy.” Or would anyone think of mourning as a path to happiness? What about meekness, or persecution, or seeking righteousness? These are probably not high on your list of “Things that would make me happy.” And yet, Jesus declares that these are the very things that will make us blessed, or bring us happiness.
The Beatitudes point us to a happy life. The word “blessed” is translated as “happy” in some modern translations. While all the Beatitudes have to do with how we can find happiness, I want to focus this morning on just the first one: Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To be poor in spirit is to recognize our spiritual bankruptcy. It is to be humble. People who are poor in spirit realize how much they need God. Humility is the door that leads to the kingdom of heaven.
The New Testament is clear that we are saved by faith in Jesus. Our text says we receive the Kingdom of Heaven through humility. Is this a contradiction? There are no contradictions in sacred Scripture. If we put our thinking caps on, we will understand that humility is a prerequisite for faith. The opposite of humility is pride. Those who feel pride in themselves will never be able to trust in Jesus. The Gospel tells us that we are sinners. Pride rebels at that idea. Humility says, “It is true. I am a sinner.” The Gospel declares that we are unable to save ourselves. Pride says, “I don’t need a Savior. I can save myself.” Humility says, “It is true. I cannot save myself. I need Jesus.” Pride says, “I have lived a good life. Surely God will be satisfied with me and welcome me into heaven.” Humility says, “I have failed God again and again. Only the forgiveness of my sins will enable me to enter heaven.” The Gospel declares that the Son of God endured the agony of the cross, shedding His blood for us, and taking into Himself the judgment we deserve. Pride says, “I cannot believe this butcher shop doctrine focused on the blood of Jesus.” Humility says, “Thank you, Jesus.”
The reason the poor in spirit receive the Kingdom of Heaven is that they can exercise faith. Pride blocks faith from being born. Listen to these Scriptures: The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure (Psalm 101:5) Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar (Psalm 138:6). Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; (Proverbs 16:5). “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible (Isaiah 13:11). . I get the impression that God does not like it when we become proud. Both James and Peter express the sum of the matter: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5).
Pride is a significant barrier that separates us from God. Pride is a killer of faith. Live your life like a proud peacock or a strutting rooster, and you will never be able to place your faith in a crucified Savior. The poor in spirit are blessed because they are in a position to be saved by faith. They hear the Gospel message, and they can receive it.
Humility enables you to be honest about yourself. Jesus was not speaking about money when He said “poor in spirit.” Money can be handled in a Christian manner or used in ways that displease God. The point in the first Beatitude is that if you want to be happy, you have to own up to your spiritual poverty. There is no happiness for the person who is ignorant of their greatest need. When the Philistines surrounded Samson in the Valley of Sorek, he thought he could whip the lot of them. He was ignorant of his spiritual poverty, which impacted his physical strength. “He did not know that the Lord had left him” (Judges 16:20). He was seized, blinded, and bound in shackles. He thought God was still with him even though he had sinned against God with Delilah. Samson did not realize his condition.
No one can be truly happy apart from humility. The poor in spirit recognize a simple truth. Without God’s grace and mercy - - - without Jesus Christ, we are nothing. Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit. Why? Because they realize their spiritual bankruptcy. Some strut through life like Samson, thinking they can handle any situation. Only too late do they realize their need for God. The Kingdom of God and the joy it brings are wide open for those who are poor in spirit. The doors of heaven are closed to the proud. Do you realize how much you need God in your life? If you do you are on the road to true happiness.
Once you realize your spiritual poverty, you are in a position to receive divine help. As we recognize our spiritual helplessness, we are in a position to place our trust in God. Those who perceive the hand of God at work in their daily lives are the ones who are truly happy. Those who live with no sense of God’s presence are never truly happy. When Jesus fed 5000 people, a young boy with a few loaves and fish probably thought he did not have much to offer such a large crowd. He was “poor in spirit and offered what he had to Jesus (John 6:9).
When we come to grips with our spiritual poverty and offer ourselves to Jesus, we are often amazed at what Jesus can do with us. Andrew was not impressed with the boy’s offer of food. He said, “What are they among so many?” The lad barely had enough to satisfy his hunger. But in Jesus’ hands, the boys' offering was enough to feed 5000 people. Never underestimate what God can do with those who are poor in spirit. When we humbly give what little we have to Christ, the impossible begins to happen.
Sometimes Christians withhold service to Christ because they think they have so little to offer. Christian vocalist Evie sang “Give them all to Jesus: shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys . . . and He will turn your sorrow into joy.” Sometimes the more messed up we are, the more we realize our poverty of spirit. This puts us into a position to enter the Kingdom of God. Humility is the path to happiness because it drives us to commit our lives to God. He can do something with our shattered dreams and wounded hearts. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The poor in spirit are prepared to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never direct a proud soul. Pride says, “I can do it myself. I can take care of myself.” Humility says, “I can’t do it myself. I can’t take care of myself. I need God in my life.” This admission opens the door for Jesus and the Holy Spirit to begin to work in us and through us. Those who know that God’s Spirit is at work in their lives are truly happy.
Those who have true faith in Jesus Christ receive the Holy Spirit. Those who continue to manifest humility can be filled with the Spirit. If you want the Holy Spirit to guide you, to empower you, to be your daily companion, humble yourself before the Lord. There are true Christians who allow themselves to become so filled with pride that they ultimately resist the Holy Spirit. While not all humble people are Spirit-filled, all Spirit-filled people are humble - - - and happy.
We all know the story of the Titanic, that great ship that struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage in 1912. I have seen three or four movies about the Titanic, and in every film, it sinks. The builders of the ship were so proud of their skill that they declared the Titanic to be unsinkable. Some said, “Even God cannot sink the Titanic.” I suspect that was the wrong thing to say. Such pride led to disaster. I believe our world is overwhelmed with severe problems due to human pride. Politicians, statesmen, financiers, and others think they have the wisdom to create a better world. If world leaders would humble themselves before God, manifesting poverty of spirit, then God would help them, and the world would be a better place.
Are you a happy person? If you are puffed up about your wisdom and skill, you will never be satisfied. Real happiness is reserved for the poor in spirit. Humility is the path that leads to contentment. Humility leads to faith in the Savior, and faith leads to eternal life.
