There are cities and countries that I love to visit. The culture, food, transportation, and entertainment are captivating. Even so, there’s nothing quite like being at home. The mattress at the hotel usually isn’t as comfortable as mine. The rental car is okay, but it doesn’t handle the same as mine. Whether you’re on vacation, visiting family, or traveling for work, you’re just passing through and will end up at home.
As followers of Jesus, we need to remember that we're just passing through while living on this planet. Christians are actually headed to our forever home in the forever kingdom of God!
On my journey, this world’s headlines steal my focus from eternity. Whether it is the pandemic, racial tension, or 24/7 election coverage, I’m caught up in current events that cast a dark shadow on reality. There is a lot of chaos, confusion, hurt, death, and destruction. However, there is an opportunity to add salt and light to the recipe the enemy is cooking up.
While visiting family or friends in their homes, I want our family to leave things better than how we found them. When we’re in a new city or new country, we’re more aware of our surroundings and their norms. The home we are staying in, the city we are visiting, or the country we are traveling through reminds us that the accommodations and surroundings are temporary - not our norm. We are guests, visitors, or foreigners. We are not home!
Peter reminds the exiles in his letters that though they are scattered and experiencing the uncertainty of tomorrow, they have a forever kingdom that is their inheritance in Jesus Christ. They were facing religious persecution, political pressure, personal suffering, and false teachers. They were not able to gather every weekend for the breaking of bread or the teaching of God’s Word because they found themselves scattered in different cities, regions, or countries. Peter reminds and encourages them to set their hearts and minds on their eternal home, not the place they lay their head at night, the job they do by day, or the garden they tend for nourishment. They are passing through on their journey home.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 3:1-4 ESV).
The communities and neighborhoods where we do life, make friends, and raise a family is a temporary location. We need to engage in conversations so we also can add the salve of the gospel. We need to lend our voice in the political arena. We want our government officials to hear the good news of the gospel. We need to encourage civic discourse rather than objectifying and dehumanizing people we disagree with. Elected officials are temporary. Our King is eternal.
We need to speak against all forms of racism and hatred in the world. We need to reflect the character and love of Jesus Christ. As we cohabitate this planet and share its resources with billions of people, as sojourners we need to share the transforming power of the love of God. In contrast to this world’s conditional love and acceptance, our King’s love is unconditional.
We need to be an extension of the Great Physician in a complex COVID-19 world. In the wake of this pandemic, we see economic stressors, mental illness, social anxiety, and health issues. The world offers a vaccine for the virus. Our King offers transformational healing that lasts forever.
I live in a city. I am a natural-born citizen of a great country. I am locally connected to a community of believers. But this is not my home. I am a supernaturally born citizen of a different kingdom. I am just passing through. I’m headed to my forever home in the forever kingdom of God!
Please join us in the 40 Days of Prayer as we corporately seek God's will on earth as in heaven. Also, if you are looking for an Advent resource, please consider The Christmas We Didn't Expect by David Mathis, which helps readers appreciate the miracle of Jesus' incarnation and draw them into worship.
