John 15:18-19 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Philippians 3:19-20 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.…
Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of His household….
Hebrews 11:13-16 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Every single day, at any given moment, society attempts to dictate what the standard of our lives should be. More times than not, they succeed. “Look this way”, “be this thin”, “wear your hair this way”, and you’ll be considered beautiful. “Buy these clothes” or “buy these new shoes” and you’ll be considered cool. Basically, do whatever you can to fit in with everyone else, and you’ll be accepted. Some people will devote their whole lives trying to fit in with the rest of the world while losing their sanity and identity in the process. Society (the world) places an outrageous emphasis on making sure you are right physically, which only serves to distract you from the most important thing: making sure you are right spiritually.
Being a Christian, I know that whatever I do, I’m not going to fit in with the world. And you know what? That gives me tremendous comfort and peace. I’m totally fine with it. It liberates me to be who God created me to be, and not waste any precious time trying to be like a world that I was never destined
to look anything like. Being Christians, we are not of this world. We weren’t designed with this world being our end-all be-all. When we travel out of town and book a hotel room, we don’t unpack all of our possessions, hang photos, put up potted plants, and decorate the place like we’re moving in. Why? Because we know that we
are only there for a brief time. We don’t get attached to that place because we know that place is not our permanent home. This earth is that hotel room for us. Our citizenship is in heaven, not this world.
When I traveled to India, it was very clear that I was not from that country. You could look at me and tell immediately that I was not Indian. Physically, I am an American citizen and there are many clues that point to the fact–my hair, my skin, my height. The way that I speak is a prime giveaway that I’m American, and if you listen closely enough you can even tell which region of the country I’m from (reminiscent of Peter’s tell when he denied Jesus). In the same way that it’s obvious I’m American, it should be obvious that we are Christians. We are supposed to stand out.
The signs of our heavenly citizenship should be through our love, joy, peace, patience, self control, among other things. Our thoughts, our speech, our ways of operation should be characteristically different than the world that are currently residing in. We are to be lights in the world, leading people back to our Savior-making a difference, caring for everyone, helping as God has willed us, forgiving, sacrificially loving, putting others before ourselves. This is so unlike the world we live in, which seeks to further its own self-interests. Just because we are not of this world doesn’t mean we aren’t to make a positive impact on it before we leave it. We are called to. Jesus is the perfect example of that. He came to the earth He created, hated by its inhabitants, and He willingly died for those same inhabitants who hated Him. It blows my mind that as Christians, that’s the same blood we now have running through our veins. We are able to love like that because He loves like that. It’s so humbling and it always serves as a great reminder of where our focus should be.
As you live out your days on earth, remember where your citizenship is–is it on this finite, temporary place or in the infinite, eternal one? Be heavenly minded! Your actions will show in which place your citizenship lies.
“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”
-C.S. Lewis