The first habit we’re going to look at is that spiritually happy men read their bible regularly. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “all scripture is inspired by God and valuable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the men of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We read the bible, because it’s valuable and true, it’s how God speaks to us.
Appreciate the value of God’s word and it’s worth reflecting on. What happens when it’s not present? Several things happen. We begin to make decisions based on our own best thinking, rather than being under the authority of an independent moral compass. We not only do what seems right, we not only make decisions based on our own ideas, we begin to do what seems right in our own eyes. We begin to interpret our bible based experience, instead of interpreting our experience based on our bible. The next thing that happens is we start to become Christian in spirit but secular in practice.
I challenge you for the next 30 days read your bible for 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
The second habit for a spiritually happy man is that he needs to be around other men. Why is it so important to be around other spiritual men? Because most men live in isolation. Most men feel like they are forced to put on a game face and pretend that everything is perfect when it’s not. When men are facing a problem they tend to isolate themselves. If you have ever watched the National Geographic channel you know that the lion never goes after the herd. The lion always goes after the wildebeest that’s been cut off from the herd. Why is that? Because, every predator understands the strategic value of isolation. Whether that’s in the animal kingdom or in the spiritual realm. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert. Your enemy the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
When you join a men’s group the Holy Spirit simply has more options to help you. The Holy Spirit can work through your brothers who love you, who care about you, who get to know you, and who want to see what’s best for you. Maybe you’ve picked up a bad habit. Maybe you’ve returned to an old habit. Maybe you face two decisions in a moral dilemma both of which don’t seem to make sense or just on a real practical level, maybe you’ve just been fighting with your wife all week long and you can’t quite figure out what that’s all about. Having a small group of men who can carry that burden or if you make the wrong decision can help restore you gently and bring you back on track is a wonderful resource that God wants you to tap into.
The third habit is to serve. Spiritually happy men serve. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “Each has received a gift. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s very grace. Whoever speaks is one who speaks oracles of God. Whoever serves is one who serves by the strength that God supplies. In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
What he’s saying to you is, the view that Christ had on his life and on the world and on his mission is the same view, the same worldview, and the same mindset that you’re supposed to have. The perspective that Christ had as he came to serve, as he came to obey the Father as he came to redeem, as he came to lay down his life for others, that’s the same view that you are supposed to have in you, not because you can sort of do it in your own strength or make it happen but because of what Christ has done. What he’s done has power to transform us from the inside out and so for example 1 Peter 4:8 says, “show love, show hospitality to people. Keep loving one another.” Verse nine, “show hospitality two one another without grumbling.”
The fourth point is spiritual happy men pray for and with their wives. A man’s role in marriage is talked about in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands love your wives like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” We’re supposed to love our wives like Christ loved the church. What’s Christ role in the church? Well, Jesus plays 3 roles in the church. He plays the role of prophet, priest, and king. We need to play these roles in our marriage.
What does a prophet do? A prophet listens to God and then tells his family what God says to him. Starts reading the scriptures, he prays, he gathers in what he needs to gather in from the Lord that he wants him to speak into the lives of his family and he goes and he does that.
What does a priest do? A priest goes to God on behalf of his family and presents their prayers to God.
What does a king do? A kings leads, provides, and protects.
Marriage is an example of our core identity. We were made to be in a relationship. Genesis 2:18 says, “it is not good for man to be alone so I will make him a helper.” God created woman. He created a woman right out of Adam’s side. Two people from one flesh. Think how similar this is to the trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 3 persons in 1 Godhead. One of the reasons that marriage is so powerful and so mystical is that at a soul level, at a visceral level, it connects us to the core of who God made us to be and how he made us.
The fifth point is spiritual happy men are generous. Generosity is something that happens out of the overflow of our gratitude for our deepening and our growing understanding of what the birth, the life, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the meaning of Christ, the meaning of who he was, the meaning of what he did, the meaning of who he is today that he is actually residing in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Jesus. He is in us. We are his vessels. He is interceding for us. The glories of the gospel of Jesus reckoning that he actually meant it when he said that he loves us as the Father has loved him. Imagine how much love the Father has for Jesus. John 15, says “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” To come to that place where we are grasping the depth of the knowledge of love and the concern and the care and the sacrifice and all of the other attributes and characteristics of what Jesus is and has done.
The sixth habit of a spiritually happy man is to be “part” of a church. The church is a redemptive leaven for you, for your family, and for the community. Whatever is going on during your week, you bring yourself in to be part of a church, and the Holy Spirit is able to redeem and leaven what’s going on in your lives. Renew you. Revitalize you. Regenerate you, and if you don’t know the Lord yet, sanctify you.
How does this happen? It happens by making an intentional effort. Worship. Having a worship experience with our God is part of what it means to be a disciple so that we can experience the supremacy of the Father, so that we can worship Him in the beauty of His holiness and the majesty of His creation, in the generosity of His salvation, in the greatness of His love, in the mystery of His providence. Then, to grow. The process of growing is what revives us, breathes the Holy Spirit into our life. To worship, to grow, to fellowship. Decide to have a shared experience with the community of brothers and sisters, the communion of the saints.