PASTOR'S PEN

Maintaining an Excellent Spirit
Daniel 5-6 and I Corinthians 10:31

To “maintain” suggests an attaining at some point, to “keep up” or “keep current”. If you’re anywhere close to receive this message, that means that at some point you were flowing at peak efficiency. At some point your mind was free and your spirit was in tune with the Holy Spirit of God - you had an unction from the Holy One and behold you know all things.

I'm talking about maintaining an excellent spirit. An excellent spirit, not excellent conditions, because even in the midst of hellish conditions your spirit can still be right! The Bible says that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) Everything around you can be coming apart at the seams, but if your spirit is right, you give God a vessel to show Himself strong through. Is your spirit right? “Create in me a clean heart (wash my thoughts, my wants, my needs, my desires) and renew (make new again) a right spirit within” - Psalm 51:10

Look at Daniel. He had an excellent spirit. They were looking for fault, but all they could find was faith! The enemy always seeks to find fault with your past, but have faith that the blood of Jesus was enough to cover that. Daniel was “full of faith” - faithful here (Hebrew: aman) means to support, build or hold up. He was full of faith because of the support system he had with God and God fully supports those whose lives are committed to excelling!

To maintain an excellent spirit, you must:

1. Be Clear - They sought to find fault with Daniel, but could not. You need to abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

2. Be Confident - Daniel was full of faith. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; Nor height, nor depth nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

3. Be Consistent - In Daniel 6:10, Daniel continued in prayer three times a day, just has he had always done. You need to keep doing what you did to get what you got! If your quiet time gives you fellowship with God, keep doing it. If your letters impressed your wife when she was your girlfriend, keep doing it. Remain consistent!