December 16, 2005
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Are we Strangers in this World?
I’ve been thinking about the exhortation in 1 Peter 2 this week…
“Dear friends, I urge you, as ALIENS and STRANGERS in this world..”
Peter refers to us as ALIENS and STRANGERS. I’ve been wondering how an Americanized Christian would live if they truly saw themselves as an alien here? How do we ,as Christians living in America, live as if we were strangers here?
One interpretation said we should think of our life as one long camping trip. Now, I have a little bit of experience in camping so I can relate, somewhat, to that visual picture. The children and I spent many a day during their younger years at a nearby lake camping during the summer months. Also, this past year when we moved on our new property, we had to live in a SMALL motor home until our house was finished. The first couple of weeks were fun and freeing. I enjoyed the freedom of very little housework and the increased available time for studying and reading. But, somewhere around the 3-4 week mark I began to get antsy. I missed my bed, I missed cooking in a real kitchen, I was tired of the dirt. I just wanted to go home.
I’ve wondered if this is how a stranger feels in our land when they know they are just visiting? After a long visit do they long for their home? Is there that temporary feeling because in the back of their mind they know their Visa will run out soon and they will be leaving? I can’t imagine they would collect a lot of STUFF since they know they would be leaving soon and they wouldn’t be able to take it with them. They certainly would be on their best behavior since they know that other people are watching them more closely than those who live here permanently.
So, that is what I’ve been thinking about this week as I enter into the busiest season of THIS WORLD. Am I longing for heaven or just perfectly content to build my own little families kingdom right here on earth?
Our home is in heaven… our citizenship is not of this world…
Comments (2)
RYC: Thank you sooo much for sharing your personal experience and giving me your wisdom and encouragement! I really appreciate that! God is totally in control and we will rest in Him and His sovereignty. ~Dianna
Very though provoking post!