We have established that The Kingdom is within us and that we can find it when we look inside. It’s not part of our physical body. So, what else can there be inside us?

Well, I have put my hand on my chest and told someone, “You’re in my heart.” And I didn’t mean my heart muscle. It’s a metaphorical heart. A place where I hold everything and everyone I cherish. My true treasures.

What else is inside my metaphorical heart?

Music is often there. And I keep my hopes and dreams in there. I have a few favorite places in the world, and I hold a picture of them in my heart. Maybe a few books. And lots of favorite memories or objects.

Compassion seems to live in my heart and it flows out when I see or hear about a situation that is hurting another person.

Of course, Father God is there too, along with Jesus and Holy Spirit. They seem to meld together in there.

why?

It seems odd that Father God would put The Kingdom inside us like a container of things and people. And then tell us to look there first. Because sometimes we hold dark things in there too. Things we hate. Like a broken heart, or betrayal, or abuse.

But, it’s the place where those things are healed. It’s where all the Love lives and all the power of Father God. And when I discover how it works then my world begins to come together .

After all, dark stuff is only temporary until it’s Loved into transformation. But, sometimes we love that piece of darkness more than transformation. So, it sits in there and wha-la, we have effectively created a demon to torment us. And sometimes we push it far into a corner and pretend it’s not there.

other things

Another thing we put into our hearts is ideologies, like being an American, or a Democrat, or a Methodist, or a member of Mensa. And we often allow those ideologies to stir up a ruckus in our hearts, kicking up stress and damaging anxiety.

It’s interesting to read Jesus’s parables about The Kingdom, now that we know where it is. Keeping in mind that he’s talking about what’s happening inside us, not outside us. It becomes easy to see The Kingdom determines Everything.

It’s how I react to the world, and how I feel about my job, and my boss, and it’s how I pick a car or a house or choose my clothes and my meals. It’s is where I make all of my choices.

The logical brain is not actually a big decision-maker. The Kingdom within is. It carries the greatest weight.

projecting

So, the person I am inside The Kingdom is the person I project to the outside world. If I perceive my Identity as a damaged thing, then I’ll see my kingdom the same way. But that isn’t what Father created. It’s simply my perception of it.

This perception is why scripture talks so much about seeing and hearing. We think the things we see and hear are facts. But that isn’t true. That is what we perceive.

Police know this painfully well. Its why witnesses are difficult. They each perceive differently. No one perceives exactly the same way. It’s also one of the reasons we can’t truthfully say about the Bible, “It’s right there in black and white.”

perception

Now, I see why The Kingdom inside me is the most important thing to seek. It is my perception of myself and my immediate world. And worst of all, what I perceive is what I believe, which is what I manifest. So, I can believe I’m fat when I’m not. I can believe the world is falling apart when it is not. But my belief will make it a reality for me. What we believe is the world we create.

Jesus seemed to indicate that The Kingdom was our solution to everything. Instead of talking about the politics of the day, or people being homosexuals, or women getting abortions, which by the way happened back then too….he talked about The Kingdom. Why would he do that? What’s inside The Kingdom that could possibly change the world around us? Well, it seems pretty clear that its our perception which forms our beliefs and then creates our world. So, if we want to change the world, we have to begin in The Kingdom. Not in the Bible. Or in our church. Or in our country.

identity

Father didn’t show me my kingdom until he first showed me my Identity and what I looked like from his point of view. My perception of myself was terribly skewed but he could show me the truth. From his point of view, I am magnificent! And that was the hardest thing to accept. It took me a couple of years to accept what he saw and then agree with it and embrace it.

After my self-perception was healed he took me to The Kingdom. Which included those dark demons I’d hidden. One by one I had to face my worst fears, bringing them into the light where I could look at them honestly as a part of myself, and then resolve them, answer them, and embrace them with Love into reconciliation and transformation.

There’s so much more in The Kingdom. Learning to rule and reign, for one. It’s a completely different mindset than simply being a victim to whatever fate throws at me.

So, if you have a minute, look around in your kingdom. Whatcha got in there?

Faith