God stirred my heart regarding the story of Joseph and averted my mind to his attitude in prison. Though unjustly slandered and1 imprisoned, he sustained his composure and functioned without bitterness. Once upon a time, Joseph asked his fellow inmates, “Why do you look so sad today?” (Genesis 40:7). Joseph had every reason to solicit encouragement but proffered comfort and answers to others. He was not born again like you and me, but he had an understanding that produced that behaviour amid injustice. Much is expected from those who have the Holy Spirit and the life of God (Luke 12:48). Hence, there is no justifiable reason to be offended, murmur or complain. You have no option but to rejoice and praise the name of the Lord if you are in Christ.
Many believers likely complain because they have lost sight of who they are and their placement in the kingdom. They fix their gaze on temporal things: material and empirical substances. When your focus is wrong, you will produce erroneous results. However, if you can renew your thoughts, you will always live joyfully.
Heirs of the Kingdom
John 3:35 KJV
The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand.
The above scripture is not exclusive to Jesus because he has become the firstborn, not the only begotten (Romans 8:29). You must persuade yourself that God loves you personally. Any fear you entertain discloses your uncertainty concerning the absolute love of God for you. Anxiety and worry are symptoms of the qualms about His love for you. If you are a child of God, you must imbibe the reality that you are the object of His love.
As a child of God, you need to know He has given you all things (1 Corinthians 3:21). If you believe this, you should never worry. You might say, “I have nothing,” but understand that the spiritual controls the physical world. The physical dimension is a child of the spiritual dimension. Your situation seeks to colonise your mind until you perceive life from its lenses. Therefore, you must leverage your spiritual reality to dominate your physical world.
You Hail from Above
John 3:31-32 KJV
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
Everyone needs to be born twice. Your first birth is natural. The flesh gave birth to you when you came from your mother’s womb. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:6-7 KJV). Hence, your second birth is a spiritual one.
The earthly person is not just an inhabitant of the earth, but a person who is not spiritually alive to God. That includes anyone involved in a spiritual activity apart from God. According to Galatians 5:19-21, operations like witchcraft are acts in the flesh. Thus, the earthly person cannot speak about the realities of the spirit realm. He talks about his circumstances, situations and problems.
1 Corinthians 15:47-48 KJV
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Adam, after the fall, became the template for everyone after him. Everyone without the new birth is after Adam’s pattern, which is earthy. It is natural for that person to be depressed and mindful of his circumstances. However, the second birth is a pattern after the Lord from heaven. In Christ, you are a creature after the image of the heavenly. That means your mind, speech, and behaviour must not yield to your environment. Your physical environment should not limit your possibilities if you are from above. There must be a shift in your thinking to produce corresponding results (Romans 8:5). The devil is working overtime to make you a prisoner of your situation. However, God wants His Word to gain control over your thoughts.
The “Above-all” Mentality
Philippians 2:9 & 14 KJV
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings.
You bear a name above every name (Ephesians 3:15). Thinking low of yourself would be inconsistent with your name. You carry His authority, which works with this corresponding thinking – the “above-all” mentality. Murmuring can truncate your destiny like those who fell in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:10). While your challenges seek to control your thinking, God wants you to know that you are more important than your circumstances. This shift must happen in your mind to detach yourself from the pressures of your situation.
Ephesians 1:20-21 KJV
Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come.
All things are set under your feet because you are seated together with Christ. This mindset must become your thinking as it is Christ’s present mentality. Accept no excuse for not fulfilling your purpose. Every challenge is a rung for progress. You are far above reproach, poverty and disgrace. Embrace this mentality from the Word of God and let it dominate your thinking.
Think Kingdom, Take Dominion.
Rule and subdue the earth.
