An Unconventional Christmas Eve Message
December 24, 2024
My passport says I am a citizen of the United States of America, but…
My real citizenship is in heaven.
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)
I was thinking lately that the greatest value of my life is its link to the kingdom of heaven. What do I mean? Anything anyone does in their own strength and solely for the pleasure of this lifetime lasts just for a moment. Truth is, our entire lifetime here on earth lasts just for a moment compared to eternity. What we do by faith in God’s strength, however, lasts forever, whether that is developing relationships that glorify Him or feeding my family to glorify Him. When God and I are doing well, everything I do is by faith.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith in God makes life meaningful!
So though my feet are firmly planted on planet earth, and I spend my life caring for family, students and friends, I am not living for here…ever. When I roll out of bed in the morning, what gives meaning to all I do is what God is doing with it all as I trust Him to spin it all for His glory somehow. I expect Him to do mighty things with my life, whether I see those results or not, because He is mighty and He keeps His promises.
God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)
Our real passport is issued by God.
My United States passports show validated travel to the Philippines, China, France, England and Ireland. But one day I will trade it in for my real citizenship, citizenship in the Kingdom of God.
Not everyone has this passport for the Kingdom of God yet. Let’s think about that as we pass neighbors while walking our dog or sitting by the pool. Start a conversation and see what God might do to make those effort in faith last forever.
Let’s take as many people with us as we can.
Now that’s a good use of our time.
Picture Explanation: On Father’s day this year, the father of our home cooked a feast for his family. What a guy!
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I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6
2 Responses
I met a woman lately whose husband is very ill with cancer. I was pleased to hear about this woman’s faith. She also commented that this life is a journey, and that we do not have any guarantee stamped on our newborn feet that we will live to be 100 years old. I told her that I love that word, “journey.” We so much each day need to remember that we our on a journey to our passport country! “This is not my home.” Thanks for the encouragement, Laurie!
I have been thinking about this principle a lot. Heaven is not some distant destination, or my next home. Heaven is my home today. I live for it today. My international students do not consider America their home. They don’t for one minute. They live here, sure, but they know the country to which they truly belong. I need to learn to live the same way.