“Neither look forward where there is doubt nor backward where there is regret.  Look inward and ask not if there is anything outside you want, but whether there is anything inside that you have not yet unpacked.” – Quentin Crisp

“We seek outside the wonders we carry inside us.” – Rumi

“Happiness is inward and not outward – so it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” – Henry Van Dyke

As I sat this morning looking out my window in central Wisconsin, I see a rainy, dreary, damp day – one filled with feelings of confinement and an inner sadness that seems to easily surface on these cloudy, hapless transition days between winter and spring.  The weather here lately has been anything but desirable.  Snow and cold followed by freezing drizzle and ice – followed by warmth and rain until the uncertain cycle starts all over again.  On days like this I miss my Utah desert – where the sun always seemed to dominate and the weeks were filled with warmth and light.

Sometimes when we look at the outside or exterior of our lives, we can feel a similar confinement and sadness within the current circumstances we face.  The cycles and routines that alter so quickly between goodness and evil, the ones that fill us with light and then darkness, bring about an uncertainty that’s hard to describe.

Life can be so hard! We long for sunny days that feel elusive.  We can even get to a point where we wonder if sun, light, and goodness are even possible anymore – that maybe the uncertainty, the dreariness, and the confinement are a fixed part of our existence now.

What is happening on the exterior of your own life right now?  Are you facing circumstances that match the description I’ve given above?

You might be wondering what I mean by the exterior or outside life.  Don’t we all have but one singular life?

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”  – 2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7 KJV

“And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” – Ecclesiastes 12:7 NIV

“Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation.  The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, who you have received from God, and that you are not your own?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19:20

Thank God there is a duality in life – a human life and a spiritual being, a temporal path and an eternal existence, an outer, exterior presence along with an inner, spiritual reality.  We are indeed two separate, but united entities.

When I look at the outside of my existence, the body, the flesh, or the outer man, I see an environment that is tainted by the human condition.  It is where all the hardships, suffering, and struggles occur.  It’s a place where relationships, finances, careers, and health issues arise.

When temporal, earthly problems dampen my life in a dreary fog of uncertainty, I take time to focus inward – to the part of me that lives beyond their reach or impact.  I am not suggesting we crawl into a spiritual vacuum, ignoring the world and the realities we face, but embrace those real issues through the lens of who we truly are deep inside – where the Spirit of the Lord dwells within us.

“Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17

The Essence of Life is Inward

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” – John 14:16-17 NIV

“Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23 WORD Translation

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10 NIV

When the outer, temporal life becomes overwhelming, realize that inside of you is where the breath of God lives.  The outer life would not exist without Him. 

The essence of who you are is inward.  Here is where you will find and experience all you need to live the temporal, outer life.  It is the part of you that lives forever.  It lodges your authentic self, all the truth and wisdom you seek, the timely guidance you need, and remains intact – long and far after the outer life is gone.

The most important aspect of your inner man is found in your heart – a place where the very source of your life flows outward.  It is why we are implored to guard it with vigilance – monitoring and evaluating what resides inside of it.  What drives our emotions, steers our thinking, or captures our desire starts there.  What we cherish or hold closely within it has tremendous impact on our destiny here.

When you think about it, the quality of our outer life is DRIVEN by those things that are centered inward.  I love how David understands this concept – praying that God create a renewed heart and spirit within him – knowing that what starts inward flows to all aspects of our outer life.

Listen Inward

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’ – whether you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21 ESV

“God speaks to each of us through our inner voice.  That inner voice will never force itself into your awareness.  I must be invited.” – Iyanla Vanzant

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27 NIV

Often, we allow our outer life, our friends, close relationships, as well as society itself to become the loudest voices and greatest influence on how we think, act, and behave.  We permit our current circumstances or the difficult situations we face to speak the loudest to our hearts – determining our next steps or shaping our attitudes and emotions surrounding them.

Instead, we need to make it a greater priority to listen inward, where deeper truth and guidance can be found.  The inner voice, the Spirit of God within us, can only be heard clearly when it is “invited” as Vanzant suggests above.  The ability to hear and distinguish that inner voice takes humility and repetition.  The more we search for it and listen inward, the more we can differentiate it from other voices and distractions.  Jesus, the Great Shepherd, promises us that as his sheep, we will recognize and hear His voice when we humbly seek it.

Finding True, Lasting Peace Inward

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John 14:27 NLT

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart …” – Colossians 3:15 NIV

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 ESV

Inward peace, not the kind of peace that comes from the outside world or how the outside world defines it, is a gift from God.  It is an inner knowing that God is in control – that no outer circumstance can touch or impact who we really are deep inside.  The following article dives deeper into this idea: https://scottallenfranke.com/2024/07/01/deep-within-yourself-2/

This inner peace also acts as a beacon – helping us to connect with the precise relationships, actions, and guidance we need to embrace in our outer life.  The Bible verse above implores us let that inner peace, the peace given to us by Christ, “rule our hearts” – knowing with confidence that it coincides with what is right, good, and appropriate for us.  

Tonight, if you are struggling, too focused on what is happening on the exterior of your life, I pray that you take time to focus inward – reconnecting with your true self – where the epicenter and origin of all you are resides with the spirit of God himself.

I pray you see the importance of guarding your heart, inviting and listening inward for His voice, and finding the only sustaining peace there is in this world – deep within yourself 😊

God bless!