Ever had a perfect storm brewing where unexpected expenses mounted at a time when income was diminishing? As someone who writes about receiving, I hear about such situations fairly often. I’ve experienced them myself, especially in Phoenix where monsoons aren’t the only storms the summer tends to bring. The housing market and many businesses face a decline in sales as people flee the heat for weeks at a time. This comes at a time when utility bills are at their highest as air conditioners in homes and cars are taxed. In the past three days, I’ve learned of two air conditioners that need replacing, and we’re only at the beginning of July.
During such storms, it’s not unusual for those familiar with the Christian scriptures to look to these encouraging words from the Sermon on the Mount:
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33)
I came upon a reference to these verses today in John Randolph Price’s The Abundance Book. Price makes a couple of noteworthy points about this advice. The first is that we were not told to try for a little bit of the kingdom or for half the kingdom, but to go for it in its entirety. We can settle for just getting by or we can claim something greater for ourselves; it’s up to us. His second observation is that we don’t have to force anything to happen. We just need to release the abundance that is already our nature. Along these lines, the master teacher affirmed more than once that the kingdom of heaven is at hand or within us. Surely it can’t be much easier to find than that.
I spent some time meditating on this idea that the kingdom of God is within me. Like Dorothy of Kansas looking for home, I know that there really is no need to go looking outside of myself for it. I do not have to seek it. I just let go and realize that I’m already there. (I like the notion of the kingdom of God being a place I can dwell.) From there I reflected on what it means to dwell in the kingdom of God. All kinds of wonderful ideas came forth.
- It’s good to dwell in the kingdom of God (which is in and all around me) because that’s where God is. God is not in the past which no longer exists or in the future which hasn’t happened yet.
- In the kingdom of God, I am unconditionally loved and always cared for, no matter what I do or don’t do.
- The kingdom of God is where healing takes place – physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial. This is where I need to be to weather this summer’s financial storm.
- In the kingdom of God, I am restored and renewed. I am encouraged and energized, ready to do what is mine to do.
- It is there where all of my needs are met.
- It’s God’s kingdom, so God’s in charge. I don’t have to have the answers or fix anything.
If you find it difficult to imagine dwelling in such a place or if you have trouble feeling what I’ve described, you may want to read Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani. She had a near-death experience, and her description of the episode sounds very much like she was dwelling in the kingdom of God and was absolutely certain of it. . While I was inspired and moved by all of her account, I found her comments about money to be quite encouraging.
Storm season is upon us in the Southwest. Let us be mindful of where we choose to dwell, and we will receive all we need and more.