Inner part 1
I can't stress how important it is that we begin to focus on what's inside. Because, as I said in a Guerrilla Gospel video not too long ago, we DO live from the inside out, whether we realize it or not. What's inside comes out. Period. Because you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. And when we focus on what's inside--love--that's when everything else flows. From inside out. Look at John 7:38 in the NASB, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" The NLT says it like this, "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" And I think the key word in both translations is "believes." Because I just got done saying what's inside comes out. But in reality, what you BELIEVE is inside comes out. Because I believe that when Jesus was lifted up from the earth on the cross, He drew all men into Himself. And when He died we ALL died. And when He rose again we ALL rose again. But not everybody walks in newness of life. Because not everybody knows this glorious truth, and not everybody believes it. A lot of people--even church folk--let what's outside influence what's inside. There are two choices of what we can believe: The world's report, which is screamed in our faces at high volume telling us we're not good enough, but might be someday if we try hard enough. OR the Word of the Lord. Which tells us, in a still small voice, that we are complete in Him. That tells us all we need to do is be who we are. Who we REALLY are. Who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. Whichever one of those "masters" you choose to serve is which one will define your reality. Outer, or inner. The world, or the Kingdom. Remember when Jesus said, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Living from the inside out is living a Kingdom life. Letting what's already inside--righteousness, peace, and joy... LOVE--flow out. By believing that it (He's) in there. By believing that we ARE loved. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. So if you know (and believe) that you ARE loved... that's when you CAN love. That's when you begin to experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God as He lives it in you, and through you, and as you. That's when it stops being works and labor (which never works) and starts being rest. That's when it stops being a struggle and starts being a flow. The river of life FLOWS from your innermost being--from your heart--when you believe. Not when you earn it. Not when you "get" it. But when you understand that you HAVE it. When you receive and release the gift of God that you've already been given. God never requires something that He hasn't first provided. Jesus is the One who prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies. And I think if the table is right there in their presence, we might as well invite them to eat too. We might as well destroy our enemies by making them our friends. By giving them what they need. Which, not so coincidentally, is exactly what we have. Because what EVERYBODY needs... is love. And what could possibly flow out of the HEART but love? What could quench that thirst but living water? What could satisfy that appetite but the fruit of the Spirit from the Tree of Life? What else but love?