So continuing with our thoughts on our identity in Christ, the ultimate end of owning that identity is realizing that we are citizens of Heaven! Sometimes we forget that fact! Our citizenship is in Heaven!!! (Philippians 3:20-21).
This life is temporary — we are merely shifting shadows (Psalm 144:4).
Sometimes we forget that we are shifting shadows and we let the issues we face in life overshadow (see what I did there? LOL) the fact that it’s passing and we let it consume our every thought until we are drowning in worry and sometimes despair. It feels hopeless.
How easy it is for our human nature to forget our true hope and our true home!
If our true citizenship is not of this world, then we are ambassadors to this planet and to the people who are lost and searching. Is our life pointing the way back home? Is our life evidence enough to those around us that we have a hope, not in this world and the world’s system? Or is our life so tainted by the world that we look no different than anyone else? Is the way we react to issues and trials different than our worldly neighbors? Or can they even tell a difference?
If we’re acting and reacting the same as everyone else, we are not set apart, and it’s like we are sleeping among the dead. It’s really hard to tell the difference sometimes between someone who is sleeping and someone who’s dead. It’s time to let the light shine and wake up and stop sleeping (Ephesians 5:14, Isaiah 60:1, Romans 13:11). Stop living life on autopilot and live on purpose. Who was the last person you told about Jesus? Who was the last lost person you witnessed to or ministered to or shared the hope of Christ with? How long ago was that? What can you do to be intentional about sharing your light in your everyday life?
I know I tend to ask hard questions on this blog, but I really want us to challenge ourselves to dig deeper. Put our roots down deep in the Lord and be who we were meant to be! Walk in the fullness of everything God has for us. How can we live the abundant life Christ promises us if we don’t challenge ourselves to push further? I know I feel like a broken record sometimes, and I’m sure I say this all the time, but you can go as deep in God as you dare to go! You are the only one holding you back from growing deeper and further in your relationship with God. If you’re happy where you are, that’s fine, but there is always further to go and more to learn and a deeper and stronger relationship with God waiting for you. We will never hit this place of having “arrived” until we meet Jesus in eternity. We can always go deeper and keep going. Seek God and never stop because there is always more of Him He wants to reveal to us.
If we are citizens of Heaven, if we are ambassadors to this earth, are we living like it?
This is something I drew recently while Shannon was preaching and it’s a picture of our spiritual growth. In order for the tree (us) to grow taller and more mature, and eventually bear fruit, the tree (we) has to push its roots further and deeper into the ground. In this picture, the soil represents the quiet secret place between us and God. Our relationship with God. In that secret place, if we don’t have deep and solid roots, we will never grow outwardly and produce fruit in the world. I challenge you to consider where you’re at and dig deeper. How is the Lord speaking to you? In what ways do you feel you can go deeper? Draw close to Him and He will draw close to you (James 4:8).
For today’s journaling, read through the scriptures below, and then write out your answers to the questions below. What is God speaking to you about this?
- Philippians 3:20-12
- Psalm 144:4
- Ephesians 5:14
- Isaiah 60:1
- Romans 13:11
- James 4:8
- Is our life pointing the way back home?
- Is our life evidence enough to those around us that we have a hope, not in this world and the world’s system? Or is our life so tainted by the world that we look no different than anyone else?
- Is the way we react to issues and trials different than our worldly neighbors? Or can they even tell a difference?
- Who was the last person you told about Jesus? Who was the last lost person you witnessed to or ministered to or shared the hope of Christ with? How long ago was that?
- What can you do to be intentional about sharing your light in your everyday life?
- If we are citizens of Heaven, if we are ambassadors to this earth, are we living like it? What can we do starting now, today, that can pivot us towards being a better ambassador of our homeland?
- In what ways do you feel you can go deeper in your relationship with God? What do you need to do to make that happen?