Where Home Is

There has been a lot of rearranging lately concerning where friends’ homes are. Many have moved down to the OC, and it has been extremely difficult to see them go. Soon I myself will have a new home, moving into the dorms on campus at Stanford. It has caused and will cause separation between friends when it is time to go home.

The Bible says that a Christian’s home is not in the world; rather, it is in heaven with Christ. It metaphorically relates this truth to people visiting a foreign country, being citizens of their homeland. “But our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). We desire heavenly things and put our minds on Christ and things above, as opposed to people who put their mind on earthly things.

I’ve noticed that when I am away from home (i.e. away from friends and family) I long to be back there, and to be with the people I love. I miss people, a lot. There are tears, many of them. And how often does this happen with my Lord? How often do I long to be home with Him, at peace forever? Tyler Sultze was our speaker last week at middle school camp, and he made some radical statements about our desire to be with Christ. He asked us to apply Philippians 3:7 to its extreme: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” If we could give up the one thing that is most important on this earth to be with Christ, would we be content? He said that if he never saw his wife or unborn baby again, but instead went to be with Christ, he would be satisfied. And he hopes his wife thinks the same.

And what of the very thing that keeps me from Christ now? Do I mourn over the sin that separates him and me? Do I strive to be united with Him as much as is possible in this life by seeking to live as He lives? Sin is a terrible thing. It is a sign of our citizenship when we have godly sorrow over sin, yet it is never good to be unhealthily preoccupied with it. We need not spend all our time mourning, but rejoicing over the fact that our relationship with Him is real, and we are blessed. Philippians says, “we eagerly await a Savior from [heaven]” (3:20). We can’t wait to see our Lord Jesus. We look forward to being with Him finally.

So a change in perspective takes place. I may be sad that I have left my friends, or that my friends have left me, but my God is with me always, and He is who I most long to be with. Let us rejoice with each other that we can all await so great a future as fellow children of God.