Friday, November 21, 2014

Live from within, or live from without

Real conversation from my home last night

My son: Daddy, if you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Me: Anywhere in the world? Pitcairn Island.
My daughter: I knew he was going to say someplace weird. I'd want to live in heaven.
Me: You already do.
Daughter: No, I mean heaven in the sky.
Me: Heaven isn't in the sky. It's within you.

There's a popular bumper sticker quote among Christians that says, "No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace." There is definite truth to this, but I'm going to take it one step further:

Live from within, or live from without.

The kingdom of heaven is not some magical place in the clouds where our deceased ancestors and pet dogs move to when they die. It is right here, right now, within us. In our daily routines we have two options: We can either live from that place within us, where circumstances that arise must submit to our inner peace, or we can live from outside where we are tossed to and fro in the storms of life, a life of utter lack.

It doesn't matter what you call your inner anchor. I've known Him as Jesus/Yeshua for most of my days and He has yet to fail me. But I don't think He's so insecure that He/(She?) won't grant inner peace to any person (whom He created and loves) who doesn't recognize Him by that name. It's the intent and vibration that matters; it doesn't matter what you call it. An apple is an apple in London or a manzana in Barcelona, but it's the same fruit.

Don't live from without. Don't yield to the stresses and negativity of those we encounter in our daily lives. Live from within, from that place of stillness and inner peace.

Once we've mastered that, we can take it one step further and let our peace rub off on those around us. And that is how little old you and me can literally change the world - one person at a time.

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