And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.
-Ephesians 1:23 (NLT)
Have you ever walked into a room or store and all of a sudden you feel anxiety, or a heaviness come over you?
Maybe you know people who create chaos and strife regularly, and what they carry negatively affects you.
In our humanness, our first instinct is to pull back and retreat or remove those who are challenging our peace. We live in a culture that tells us just that, and this message is spreading through the body of Christ. We have memes circulating through social media that say things like, “Now that I am older, I don’t waste my time with people who don’t bring peace,” followed by a popular movement to “protect your peace” as if cutting people out of our lives’ equates to maturity.
But is that God’s will for His children?
The answer is a firm no.
This is not the way of God’s Kingdom.
How can we possibly be the hands and feet of Jesus, the body of Christ to those who need His touch if we avoid and pull back from all situations that trigger a negative emotion or response in us?
The answer: We can’t, and we become ineffective for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Spiritual maturity is when we put on our armor and put off our old ways, recognizing that these battles are not against flesh and blood. We are citizens of Heaven who live by the Spirit, and through the Holy Spirit in us, we have access to peace beyond our human understanding. A peace that cannot be taken or shaken; peace that shifts people and atmospheres!
Here’s what the Lord is saying to us today:
“Do not fear what you feel in the atmosphere; I have positioned you to bring the shift to your surroundings! You carry My presence, and I’ve empowered you to be the change to those around you. You have been restored to the fullness of who I am to fill the earth with all you have in Me.
My Kingdom is within you.
Do not shrink back.
Do not allow a spirit of fear or intimidation to cause you to retreat.
I have positioned you for such a time as this. My Spirit within you is greater than the spirit of this world.
When you walk into a place that feels dark or chaotic, call upon My name.
What you are feeling, seeing, and sensing needs to be turned and used for My glory by releasing the Kingdom of Heaven everywhere you go!
It’s time to become more aware of what you carry, no longer allowing your surroundings or people to dictate your mood and responses. Many are broken, lost, hurt, feeling crushed from strongholds, and in bondage to the lies of the enemy… you carry My peace; you are an extension of My freedom!
Be aware of my continual presence within you and be intentional everywhere I’ve placed you: your kids’ games, in your workplace, at the coffee shop, in your home with your family, on campus — even on vacation. No boundary is too far for me, and no person is beyond my reach…. I am in you, and I desire to move through you, touching lives and bringing My peace.
Put on your armor — wear the shoes of peace, walk in my presence, and fill the earth with Me.”
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for Your everlasting peace and presence within me. I know that in you, I have a well of overwhelming peace regardless of where I am, or who I’m with. Help me become more aware of Your presence within me than what’s going on around me. You’ve set me free to set others free; I want to become an extension of Your peace and freedom to all who know me. Holy Spirit, show me how to live by Your Spirit and help me become sensitive to what I have in You so I can minister to all who cross my path. I want to be an extension of Your Kingdom, filling the earth with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
