The Forgotten Gospel Within: Awakening the Truth Inside You

Many of us were raised hearing the stories and teachings of the Bible — stories of faith, redemption, and the power of God’s love.

But few of us were ever taught to look within ourselves for that same power.

Somewhere along the way, the message got lost.

We were taught to seek salvation outside of ourselves rather than awakening to the divine truth already living within us.

When Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), He wasn’t speaking in metaphor.

He was revealing a spiritual reality — that the peace, love, and wisdom we seek are already part of who we are.

But the noise of the world, our unhealed pain, and the disease of addictive thinking keep us disconnected from that truth.

Why So Many Can’t Stay Stopped

In recovery, I’ve seen this truth over and over: people stop using but still feel lost, restless, or unsatisfied.

Why?

Because they haven’t yet connected to their true self.

Sobriety without spiritual connection often turns into a dry struggle — a life of restraint rather than freedom.

The Gospel, when understood at its deepest level, teaches us how to return to our original state of wholeness — to remember who we are.

But several powerful forces keep us from it: Desire, Ignorance, Fear, and Anger.

• Desire makes us chase after what we already have inside — love, peace, purpose. We look for it in drugs, relationships, money, or validation, never realizing we’re seeking what’s already within.

• Ignorance blinds us to our divine nature. We think we are our pain, our mistakes, or our past, instead of the Spirit breathing through us.

• Fear keeps us from letting go of control. It convinces us that we’ll lose ourselves if we surrender — when in truth, surrender is how we find ourselves.

• Anger separates us from love. It builds walls between us and others, and even between us and God.

Each of these forces feeds the false self — the version of us that we created and lives from ego, shame, and survival instead of faith, truth, and love.

The Path Back to the True Self

Everyone’s path looks different, but the work is the same: we must turn inward and face what’s been running our lives.

For some, like myself, that’s through the 12 Steps.

For others, it’s therapy, journaling, meditation, prayer, or time in nature.

The key is self-honesty being willing to look at the parts of ourselves we’ve been avoiding.

When we stop running from our pain and begin to understand it, that’s when healing begins.

Here are a few ways to begin reconnecting with your true self:

1. Silence and Stillness: Spend a few minutes each day in quiet. Not praying for anything — just being still and listening within. That’s where the Spirit speaks.

2. Self-Reflection: Write down what you’re feeling, what you’re afraid of, and what you keep chasing. Patterns will start to appear.

3. Forgiveness: Release old resentment — toward others, but also toward yourself. Forgiveness clears the space for peace to enter.

4. Surrender: Admit that your way hasn’t worked, and be open to being led. That’s where freedom begins.

Living from the Inside Out

When we begin living from our true selves, the need to escape fades away.

We stop trying to fix the outside world because we realize the real healing was always an inside job.

The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t a place you go after you die — it’s a state of consciousness you awaken to while you live.

It’s the moment you remember who you really are: a divine being made in the image of God, carrying His Spirit inside you.

So if you’re struggling to stay stopped, or just tired of feeling disconnected, it might not be about trying harder. It might be about remembering who you already are.

Because as Jesus said, “The truth shall make you free.” And that truth isn’t hiding in a book — it’s hiding inside you.