It's All Inside

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God." (Matthew 6:33) "The kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21) As long as we keep looking for the kingdom of God outside ourselves, we will never find it. Once we know that "it's all inside" as a commercial once boasted, we can take control of our lives and have the attributes we choose.

One of the attributes our granddaughter's dog has chosen is courage. He's a little, bitty pomeranian mix, but he barks ferociously at dogs many times his size. My hubby says it is a defense mechanism to protect himself from them. Whatever it is, I think he is pretty courageous. Either that or he is just plain stupid....one or the other. I prefer to think that he is courageous, just like the lion in the Wizard of Oz, which brings me back to my point. Although the lion found his way to the mighty Oz to ask for courage, he had it inside all along.

I remember a Tolstoy story about this very subject that I would like to share with you:

"A beggar had been sitting by the side of the road for over thirty years. One day a stranger walked by. 'Spare some change?' mumbled the beggar, mechanically holding out his old baseball cap. 'I have nothing to give you,' said the stranger. Then he asked: 'What's that you are sitting on?' 'Nothing,' replied the beggar. 'Just an old box. I have been sitting on it for as long as I can remember.' 'Ever looked inside?' asked the stranger. 'No,' said the beggar. 'What's the point? There's nothing there.' 'Have a look inside,' insisted the stranger. The beggar managed to pry open the lid. With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold."

That's the way it is with us. We have everything we need inside. Instead of begging God for what we think we need, wouldn't it be cool if we would just claim what He's already given us?

Love and light,
Patty