If you are one of those people, this article is for you. I wanted to teach you/remind you of the biblical concept of “Heavenly Citizenship.”
Philippians 3:20
“…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:11-12
“Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles so that … they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.
Think about it: Have you ever been on a mission trip to a foreign nation? If so, you may remember that the country you were in had some uncomfortable parts. Maybe the food wasn’t as good as it was back home. Or perhaps you didn’t like the insects that crawled into your bed or the fact that the shower water was cold. Maybe you felt sadness for the people when you realized that they live in a place where they have to hide their Bibles and hide their church meetings. Perhaps you were a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who hadn’t heard much about Jesus, and how they lived out of a completely different worldview.
Even if you experienced that, you probably were not plagued with hopelessness. You know why? Because you knew it was temporary. You did not “put your hope” in that nation. You saw yourself as a short-term resident. However, you also didn’t just give up and cease doing things that matter, either. After all, it was a mission trip, and you went there to help! So, you did what you could while you were there.
In a similar way, God has placed every Christian on a mission trip called “this life.” And as hopeless as things may seem sometimes, we can know that God has prepared a place for us in the future. We won’t be here long. We’re going home one day. That is encouraging.
However, someone might say, “But what about the here and now? Are we not supposed to care about the people and things happening around us? Do we just give up on America?” Of course not. God has placed us here for a reason. So, we do the good that we can do while we are here.
I think the balance of those two issues is helpful to remember during times when you feel hopeless about this country.
- Don’t put your hope in this nation. You are a citizen of a different one.
- On the other hand, don’t give up on this nation. God has you here for a mission. Do what you can to help!
- However, if and when you can’t fix everything, go back to point #1: Don’t put your hope in this nation. You are just here for a little while.