Psalm 143:7
“Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.”
Your spirit will determine your outlook on your day. Proverbs 18:14 says, “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” You show me a person whose spirit is always down, and I will show you a person who people do not want to follow. The people who seem to have the greatest followers are those who have a good spirit. I have several friends who I have purposely placed myself around because of their spirit. I want that joyful spirit that cheers everyone around me.
The psalmist says in the verse above, “…my spirit faileth…” He admitted that he had a broken spirit. The previous verses show why he had a broken spirit. The reason his spirit was broken was because he was looking at circumstances instead of focusing on actions that give a joyful spirit. There were four types of spirit he needed to have to keep a good spirit.
First, he needed a remembering spirit. He says in verse 8, “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning…” He asked God to remind him of His goodness every day. If you are going to keep a good spirit, you are going to have to purposely remind yourself of God’s goodness to you. Our sinful nature easily reminds us of everything that is bad around us, but if you are going to have a good spirit, you must stop and remind yourself daily of God’s blessings. A daily reminder of how good God has been to you will help you keep a good spirit.
Second, he needed an enduring spirit. He says in verse 9, “Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies…” If you are going to have a good spirit, you are going to have to get some grit and determine you are going to make it no matter what comes. An enduring spirit is what causes you to get back up after you have been knocked down. Don’t let the hardships of life keep you down. Get an enduring spirit that says you will get up no matter what life may throw at you.
Third, he needed a teachable spirit. He says in verse 10, “Teach me to do thy will…” If you want to keep a good spirit, you are going to have to let others teach you. I’m always amazed that those who have the best spirit are those who allow others to teach them; they are not know-it-alls. You will find a teachable spirit allows you to want to learn something from everyone, which will help you to keep a positive outlook on others. Don’t be the type of person who knows more than everyone else. Keep a teachable spirit so you can have a good spirit.
Fourth, he needed a joyful spirit. He says in verse 11, “Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake…” For God’s sake, you need to stop letting circumstances determine what your spirit is going to be each day. You need to approach every day with a joyful spirit. The way you do this is to stop letting outside circumstances determine your spirit. Joy always comes from within. If you will realize you are always a child of God and are on your way to Heaven, you can have a joyful spirit.
Friend, keeping a good spirit is no accident. Your spirit will have these four characteristics if you have a good spirit. Having a good spirit is a choice. What spirit are you choosing?