T H E O P H I L U S

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” – Philippians 3:20

Have you ever dreamed of being in a “better place” than where we currently are? whether it be on an island somewhere remote and exotic, or in a charming town in the south of France, we have all dreamt at some point about being somewhere and getting away from all the troubles and chaos of everyday life. We would dream about where we would rather be than stuck at work in front of the computer, or from the gruel of preparing for a term paper. There is innate part of us which desires to flee from the hardships of life and from the disparity of our brokenness and what often is perceived to be vain labour of our human existence.

There is also a sense that there is nowhere more comfortable than to be home. To be where it is so familiar and predictable. It does not matter how small and crummy one’s apartment might be, there is the comfort of that predictability, whether it is going home to a loved one, or your mattress which has an imprint of your favorite napping position. Whether it is our living quarters, or whether it is a fantasy vacation we dream of, we innately desire to be a place of peace and seek out the comfort of safety and love. It is not just a survival instinct, but a deep spiritual sense that it is the way it ought to be.

The truth is that our home is not here on earth, it is in heaven. We belong in the presence of God as we were created to be. In the unsettling and often difficult moments of life, there is a greater reason to keep pressing forward in our faith, and for us to put our hope in what is above. When life gets tiresome and difficult, lonely and frustrating, we can be assured that one day when all is done and life has been lived we can be in a place which is of ultimate love, joy, peace and freedom.

Thus today, we live not in our weariness and being discouraged by our circumstances and troubles, but rather encouraged and empowered that we are inheritors of such promises and that we come from a great creator where there is no limitation of power. We are saved by an amazing God who loved us so much that he should die on the cross for us, but also rose again from the dead. And because he lives, we can truly face tomorrow in the hope of eternal life in the greatness of His presence.

“My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.”

– Billy Graham