Living from Above, Not from Below.Breakfast With the Word: Story Version.

StoryBreakfast

 

Breakfast With the Word: Story Version. 

 

Living from Above, Not from Below

(John 3:31–36)

 

John the Baptist said to his disciples: ‘He who comes from above is above all others; he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, even if his testimony is not accepted; though all who do accept his testimony are attesting the truthfulness of God.

 

 

There is a beautiful story about Saint Francis of Assisi.

Francis was born into wealth. He had everything, from comfort, respect, and a future full of success. But one day, something changed. He encountered Christ in a deep and personal way.

Instead of continuing to live for status and material gain, Francis chose a different path. He left behind riches and embraced a life of simplicity, humility, and total dependence on God.

People thought he was foolish. Some mocked him. Others could not understand him.

But Francis was not living “from below” anymore. He was living “from above.”

While others were chasing possessions, he was chasing God.
While others feared losing things, he had nothing to lose and everything in God.
While others were anxious, he was full of peace.

Why? Because his life was no longer controlled by the world. It was rooted in heaven.

 

 

In another story, Emeka was always worried about what people thought of him. If someone criticized him, his whole day was ruined. If someone succeeded, he felt threatened. He lived “from below” controlled by comparison, fear, and insecurity.

Ifunanya was different. She loved God deeply, but she struggled with fear. Whenever problems came, she panicked and lost hope quickly. She believed in God, but her mindset was still tied to earthly anxiety. Then there was Chigozie. Chigozie had his own challenges from financial struggles, setbacks, and disappointments. But there was something different about him. He did not panic easily. He did not compare himself with others. He did not lose hope, even when things were hard.

One day, Emeka asked him, “Why are you always so calm? Don’t you see what is happening around you?”

Chigozie smiled and said, “I see it. But I don’t live from here. I live from above. My life is in God, not in circumstances.” That was the difference.

 

In John 3:31–36, John the Baptist says “He who comes from above is above all.” but “He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks in an earthly way.” This is not just about origin,  it is about mindset and orientation of life.

Jesus comes from heaven. He speaks what He has seen with the Father. He lives in perfect union with God. But human beings, left to themselves, tend to live “from below”  meaning that we judge based on appearances. We react based on emotions and we decide based on fear, pride, or pressure.

 

To live “from below” is to let the world define your identity and direction. But to live “from above” is something deeper. It means seeing life through God’s truth, not human opinion.

 

Living from above means responding with faith, not fear in the times of challenges. It entails acting with love, not ego and holding onto hope, even when circumstances say otherwise. Jesus is not just showing us heaven, He is inviting us into a new way of living.

Through Him, we are no longer limited to earthly thinking. This is why the Gospel says: “God gives Him the Spirit without reserve.” And through Christ, that same Spirit begins to transform us from earthly thinking to heavenly living.

 

The Right Lesson: Rise Higher

 

The message is simple, but very powerful:

You cannot live a heavenly life with an earthly mindset. If you think only like the world: You will always be afraid, you will always compare and you will always feel not enough

But when you begin to live from above, you find peace even in storms, you love without needing approval and you trust God even when you don’t understand Him.  Living from above does not mean problems disappear. It means problems no longer control you. Stop letting people’s opinions define you. Stop letting fear control your decisions.
Stop living as if this world is all there is.