“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:25-28

The peace the world gives comes at a cost: compromise with the world system and they leave you alone. They may even promote you. In exchange, the illusion of calmness and harmony is offered.

 
However...The peace Jesus offers to all who believe involves wholeness. This wholeness/completeness endures throughout all the world system might throw our way because in the Peace Jesus offers as the prince of peace the believer has identity. The believer knows who they are and to whom they belong and to which kingdom (darkness or light) they are a citizen. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God all the benefits of that Kingdom and that the King has decreed are available:

 
health
healing
wealth
provision
strategy
wisdom
knowledge
understanding
salvation
prosperity 
promotion....and more.

 
How? Because he has told us what is good for us. It is good for us to love one another as He loves us. It is good for us to forgive and receive forgiveness. It is good for us to obey the instructions of Holy Spirit and the Word of God contained in scripture. 
 

It is good for us. He is in our corner working all things out for our benefit. Even when we misstep in our walk with Him, He brings us back into alignment with Him. It is here that we find our place, the people with whom He chose for us to walk and work beside for His glory.

 
It is good to submit our agendas to Him and to governance he places over us within the community of believers. We should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to and reject or turn a deaf ear, a blind eye, to the counsel and the perspectives of His word and that governance. We do this to our own detriment. 
 

Neither should we think lowlier of ourselves than we ought. There is no place in the Kingdom for false humility. Poverty of spirit leads to a poverty mindset. This is a manifestation of pride in itself. Too proud to try to succeed because of fear of rejection or fear of judgement. It is a rejection of assignment when the fear is of success because responsibility that comes with the assignment moves us out of our comfort zones. False humility is an attempt to stay on everyone’s “good side” in order to keep everyone happy and receive their validation of how “humble and kind” we are. I am listing these things because I am familiar with them having committed the false humility angle myself. It was quite a wake-up call to discover the root of the insecurities it produced was not “victim” or “self-preservation.” It was pride.

To be “humble” is to honestly assess ourselves, the good and the ugly parts, in the light of God’s forgiveness and grace and respond accordingly. Poverty mindset and the orphan mindset have no place in the kingdom because all are wealthy (a mindset, not a bank account balance) and all believers belong to the church Jesus is building; the community of faith with identity, purpose and destiny.

John 14 1-5 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

In other words, this analogy regarding placement within the Kingdom means everyone has a place. There are no orphans. No one has been abandoned. When Jesus went to the cross, died and suffered in hell for our sins, rose again and ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father, He was preparing a place for us. Holy Spirit was than poured out at Pentecost to dwell within the believers so we may be where he is…at the right hand of the father. A place of governance, citizens of the Kingdom, ambassadors of the Kings decrees.

It is about relationship. It is NOT about a ticket to heaven. There is so much more to this relationship then getting to heaven. A lot of GOOD things that are GOOD for us and the way of blessing results in an abundant life full of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

Blessings and Peace,

Anne