Read: Philippians 3:12—4:1
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20
Where are you from? How do you answer that question? Do you think of the place of your birth or your childhood home? Do you identify yourself with a particular town or state or country? Paul was a Jew, he was also a Roman citizen from the city of Tarsus. Paul could have claimed to belong to quite a number of places. But Paul recognized that his true citizenship was in heaven—his truest home was in the presence of God. Paul never renounced his Jewishness or his rights as a Roman subject, but he was clear where his primary allegiance was.
There are times when we feel far from home. We may struggle to identify ourselves with institutions and governmental authorities that do not seem to exemplify the best of what we believe. We might not even feel particularly at home in our own skin. We make our way through life with a spiritual restlessness that makes it difficult to settle into any one place or job or relationship. This soul-angst may be our internal recognition that we are not from around here. Our home is with God. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Where are you from?
Dear Lord, I am uncomfortable with flag waving, and I am not always filled with civic pride. There are plenty of times when the town I live in and the country I pledge allegiance to and the institutions I have chosen to associate with do not seem to reflect who I truly feel I am. There are plenty of times when my church affiliation makes me uncomfortable. What is this restlessness of place within me? Is it my soul’s ache for my true home—my residence with You? In Jesus’ name, I wonder and pray. AMEN.