The Attitude and Character of the Blessed Man

**Living in the Spirit Series**

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The blessed man is not merely a man who has received blessings from God. He is a man whose attitude, character, and inner disposition have been shaped by the Word and the Spirit of God.

## The Word Shapes His Inner Life

The blessed man meditates on the Word of God continually. His meditation is not limited to prayer time or moments of crisis. The Word of God occupies his thoughts and influences how he responds to life.

Because the Word fills his heart, his speech is also transformed. The words that proceed from his mouth become like choice silver. What comes out of his mouth reveals what has been cultivated within his heart.

His mind is not governed by circumstances. It is anchored in what God has said.

## Peace Is His Inner Atmosphere

When crisis comes, the blessed man is not easily shaken or confused. His thoughts are fixed upon God's promises. He may recognize the reality of the storm, but the storm does not become the reality that controls his heart.

He maintains a quiet inner temperament because his confidence is in the Lord.

This is important in learning to live in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us in peace. When we allow worry, agitation, fear, quarrelling, and confusion to continually dominate our hearts, it becomes difficult to discern His leading and commune with Him.

Peace and joy are therefore not insignificant emotions. They are part of the spiritual atmosphere in which we walk with God.

Isaiah says:

> *"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace."* > — Isaiah 55:12

## Joy and Thanksgiving Are Strength

The blessed man is continually learning to maintain an attitude of joy and thanksgiving.

This can be difficult when circumstances are unpleasant. It is difficult to remain joyful while worrying, agitated, or troubled. Yet Scripture repeatedly calls us to cultivate joy and thanksgiving because they are connected to our spiritual strength.

Joy is not dependent on everything going well. Thanksgiving is not dependent on having everything we desire. The believer can rejoice and give thanks because his confidence is ultimately in the Lord.

When we lose our peace and joy, we should not simply accept it as normal. We should ask what has taken control of our thoughts and return our attention to the Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

## Protect Your Peace

There are things that continually rob people of their peace: stressful relationships, unnecessary arguments, quarrelling, strife, agitation, and involvement in conflicts that God never asked them to enter.

A believer should learn to recognize these things and refuse to be drawn into them.

Not every argument requires an answer. Not every provocation requires a response. Not every conflict requires our participation.

Living in the Spirit includes learning to maintain the inward peace that enables us to hear and follow the Spirit's leading.

## Faith Produces a Character

In Christ, we have been made the righteousness of God. This righteousness is received by faith. But Scripture also says that faith without works is dead.

So what is the evidence that our faith in Christ is alive and working in us?

It is seen in the character our faith produces.

Love. Joy. Peace. Righteousness.

These are not merely religious qualities we try to display outwardly. They are expressions of the life of the Spirit within us.

When we understand our righteousness in Christ, we learn to trust Him rather than continually live in fear. We learn to love rather than quarrel. We learn to pursue peace rather than strife. We learn to rejoice rather than continually complain.

The evidence of our faith is therefore not only what we say we believe, but how that faith shapes the way we live and respond.

## Living in the Spirit

The blessed man is learning to live from the inside out.

He allows the Word to govern his thoughts, the Holy Spirit to lead his heart, and the character of Christ to be expressed through his life.

When trouble comes, he returns to the Word. When pressure comes, he chooses peace. When circumstances are difficult, he continues to rejoice and give thanks. When conflict arises, he refuses unnecessary strife. When he is tempted to worry, he remembers that his confidence is in the Lord.

This is the attitude and character of the blessed man — not because his life is free from storms, but because the presence of God within him is greater than the circumstances around him.

To live in the Spirit is to learn this blessed disposition: a mind governed by the Word, a heart established in peace, a spirit sustained by joy, and a life expressed through love and righteousness.

*Hassan Thomas Nenger* *Author, My Divine Identity as the Righteousness of God* *Living in the Spirit Series*