On Our Journey Home

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

This morning as I was reading through the book of Ephesians and came across the above passage, I was struck with a thought.

Having just returned from a visit to my grandmother in Tennessee, the subject of vacations and trips is still in the fore-front of my mind. While going on trips to various places is often very enjoyable, after a time, there often stirs in me a sort of restlessness - a discontentment with being away from home in a place where most of my belongings and furniture are not. Upon my return, even after a fun and memorable vacation, I am happy to be home - where I belong at least for the time-being.

Though it is not quite the same, it occurred to me that we (that is, believers in Christ) should always feel a similar restlessness when we are on this earth. We were not created for this world. (John 15:18-19) We belong to a world, a culture, a city outside this universe. This is not our home and, though it can sometimes be pleasant and enjoyable, we should always have an inner longing for our true home. We are "fellow citizens of the saints" in Heaven and are a part of "God's household". Only there, in Heaven, will we be truly content; only there will we be truly "at home". That is where we belong and we should never desire to get too comfortable with this foreign land. We are travelers on our way to a distant land. On our way, our speech, our customs, and our actions should distinguish us from the citizens of this world. We may tarry here awhile, but we should never forget our eternal destination. We must keep walking day by day, each step one step closer to Heaven and to our Father.