Poor in spirit

Yesterday I talked about the importance of the servant's heart. The fact that if a person is "filled with the Spirit" which is the #1 qualification the apostles were looking for in a helper. In the 6th chapter of Acts the church had outgrown the apostles' capabilities of serving and meeting all of the needs of its members. They were experiencing their first administrative problem. Anyone who has been a part of a growing church knows that they come regardless of how prepared you are for them.
THe apostles put together a team, and looked for people who were full of the spirit and they had to exemplify a servant's heart. That is something that cannot be taught. You can teach someone to preach, teach sunday school, usher, do visitation and the like, but you cannot teach a person to have a spirit filled heart.
In Matthew 5 Jesus says, "blessed are the poor in Spirit." What does this mean, and how does it tie to the passage in Acts 6? The bottom line is we must start putting the needs of others ahead of our own. To have a spirit filled heart, and to be poor in Spirit doesn't mean we think less of ourselves. It actually means we think of ourselves less.
Oswald Chambers states, "The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. It means that these things come automatic, and unnoticed by the person who possesses the qualities.
In John 7:38 Jesus says, "He who believes in Me, outof his heart will flow rivers of living water." We will experience these rivers of flowing water, living water when and only when we are completely in tune with God. It's when we start focusing on the water flowing out that we become prideful and un-Christlike.
So focus on God, seeking His favor and all of these other qualities will fall into place. Even when the blessing start flowing and we realize we are making a difference we must focus even harder on Him so we don't get puffed up.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!