September 6, 2010
Philippians 3
Pastor Stan Wilson
Over the years, God has granted our family the privilege of international travels. While I love the rewards that come from these memorable, life-changing experiences, I’m not always as thrilled with the various routines required when touching down in a foreign country. For instance, the process of clearing customs doesn’t make my heart go pitter-patter. In fact, at times I find that I am a little apprehensive. What if they think I look suspicious and decide to detain me for questioning? What if I don’t answer their questions correctly and I’m thrown in jail – as an innocent man?
Realizing that this line of thinking is a little extreme and that my apprehension is founded in nothing more than being a weary traveler, I’ve learned a few diversion tactics along the way. One tactic is to identify things about other travelers that may reveal the origin of their citizenship. Sometimes I listen for a particular accent. Other times the color of their passport can reveal the country to which they profess their loyalties. What I’ve repeatedly found to be true is that if I look closely enough, something about an individual will reveal the place he/she calls home.
In Philippians 3:20, Paul wrote about our true home. He declared that, as believers, our citizenship is not here - but in heaven. Commenting on Paul’s words, the expositor W.E. Vine stated that “Here on earth we are a colony of heavenly citizens.” In other words, while this is a temporary place of residence, it is not a place to be called home.
Our time on Earth is much like waiting to clear customs. The ultimate goal is to settle into our permanent heavenly homes. In light of Paul’s words, there are two questions we must ask ourselves as believers:
- As I take temporary residence here on Earth, is my focus heavenly?
- As others closely examine my life, do my actions and attitudes reveal heaven as the place I call home?
I encourage you to take time throughout the day to ponder these questions. As you do, ask God to reveal areas of your life that are in need of heart adjustments.
Pastor Stan directs Grace Covenant’s worship services and the creative process supporting them, as well as overseeing community and worship teams.
