Bigger on the Inside than the World Outside
June 23, 2023
Have you ever wondered how to get to that place where you’re so stable and peace-filled on the inside of you that nothing on the outside can disrupt that? Many people will tell you that this is impossible and that there is a constant battle until we depart this earth to remain at peace in the midst of the storm. But the Bible doesn't say that. Actually, when you read through the Bible, it says things like,“DO NOT worry” or “BE OF good cheer” or “DO NOT be afraid.” The Word presents these things as a choice to “just do” or “just be.” It doesn’t say “fight to have peace” or “strive to have joy” or “work to not be fearful.” It seems as though the Word is indicating that it should be something doable and of ease to “be of good cheer” or “not be afraid.” When we look at the nature of the flesh, our human character without God, could not easily do this. In the midst of depression, worry, or fear, it doesn't seem easy to resist them. So why does the Word tell us to “just be” in these instances like it is an easy thing to do? It’s because the Word is not telling us to do that in ourselves. Through His Word, God is telling us to do it out of our inner selves. We do this from our spirit that has been made new through Jesus and is now in communion with His Holy Spirit. We need to learn to live from the inside out. That is, to live from our spirit man that is already perfect and full of peace and joy. At the beginning of this revelation, we go through the process of “renewing the mind”. As we do this type of training, like renewing the mind, it often feels like a battle at first. This is because we are learning to retrain the mind to think through the already made new spirit. This is the most important step in the life of the believer. Read more about renewing your mind in Romans 12:2, TPT, “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.” Whether it’s physical training at a gym, training for a vocation, or mental training like studying for a big test, it can feel difficult, strenuous, or outside of our comfort zone as we push for success in these endeavors. But once you get over the training hump, it begins to just come to you with ease.
We know from the Word that we became a new creature in Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:17), we were made complete and whole through Jesus, (Hebrews 10), and were put in right standing with God, (Romans 4-6). We also know that our old nature was crucified with Christ and now that old flesh nature is forever defeated. Read this in, Romans 6:5-6, TPT, “For since we are permanently grafted into him to experience a death like his, then we are permanently grafted into him to experience a resurrection like his and the new life that it imparts. Could it be any clearer that our former identity is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power.” Our inner selves, our spirits, have received this complete transformation and it then flows from the inside out! But the problem we encounter and now have to overcome is that our natural minds have learned the ways of this world. Our lives have been under the effects of sin. Yet within us, our spirit has this great realization that we are now made perfect and free from the grip of sin and all its effects, (sinful acts, sickness, pain, poverty, etc- these are all symptoms of sin in this world). This realization must get from the spirit within us to our minds so our whole lives can be transformed to look like Jesus.
In light of this, how do we renew our minds? We do this by consuming and acting on the Word of God. We are inundated with the world daily, with its ways, opinions, and morals. As Christians, we are in this world, but not of it (John 17). So while we are living our daily lives here in this world, how we live and who we are while we live here, should not be affected by our surroundings. Our goal is to counteract the things we see and hear daily with the Word of God that is pure and true. It is the standard by which we are to live our lives. Read Romans 10:17, NKJV, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” To renew our minds with the Word of God, we take it in. We take it in by reading it with our eyes and listening to it with our ears. We must make it a daily priority to put our eyes on the Word and read it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Doing so we can receive the revelations He has intentionally placed in there for us. Additionally, we listen to anointed, faith-filled men and women of God to receive the Word through our ears. Even listening to the Word throughout the night is a very impactful way to renew the mind. We may be sleeping but our spirits can receive that Word throughout the night. When we consume the Word we are built up in our faith! It is so important to have an overflowing source of faith on the inside of ourselves to walk through this life. We have to see our lives and our situations through the “glasses” of the Word of God. Even though we have circumstances that present themselves as fact in our lives, the Word of God is the ultimate TRUTH that always trumps our facts. The truth has the ability to change the facts when we propel it forward into our lives through FAITH! That is why it is so important to renew our minds with the Word. We do this so we can train our minds to be in line with our spirit-man then we can live through faith to see the truth of the Word of God come to life in our lives and kick the facts to the curb!
When we build up our inner selves on the Word of God, our inner selves begin to get bigger and stronger than our outward factors, (our natural-human tendencies, life’s circumstances). Then when things arise we aren't moved like we used to be, our roots have gone deep making us stable and unshakable. We can then begin to see our circumstances through the glasses of the Word of God and faith. Have you ever been faced with a circumstance that rocked you to your core? Have you had a moment when you felt the surge of a storm within you, wondering what are you going to do, or how are you going to fix this? Quite possibly swirling thoughts of chaos consumed you and drained you of all stability, peace, and joy. As Christians, we have been given the option to no longer live life that way. If you are built up on the inside in faith from the Word, when circumstances arise your reaction can be strong, steady, peaceful, and full of joy. This happens when you already know your outcome is good and victorious and this is the result when you have fed daily and deeply on the Word of God which is our ultimate Truth. This can be you! Get your inside bigger than your outside. With the Word of God and the grace of the Holy Spirit, you are more than able to have it.
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