A Better Place

A Better Place

“But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:16

It seems we always want something more, something better than what we currently possess. Five years ago we purchased our first automobile with that new-car-smell (translation, first “non-used” car). It is nice, economical, and we enjoy having something that doesn’t break down every month or so. But, I have discovered it is not enough. Now, I want a new car, but with more room, better electronics, and seat warmers. After the first year of “new car” wore of, the desire for something better began to take root.

People do this all the time with relationships as well. Some marriages are over the moment one partner begins to wonder if they could do better. Perhaps there is a better mate for me, and I missed God’s perfect plan. And so, the search begins. Or, if divorce is out of the question, an inner discontent begins to grow. “I know I could have done better, but I have to put up with what I chose.”

Students want to trade teachers; teachers want to hand in certain students. Families move because there is a better neighborhood a little further from the city center. Churches may build new buildings because they are dissatisfied with what has served them so far. People in churches come and go. The new thrill of beginning wears off, and they know there has to be a better church experience somewhere up the road. We are an intensely dissatisfied people.

There is one area where a Christian’s dissatisfaction is actually warranted. It is the sense that, though we love the God of creation, and adore the planet he has placed us on, we somehow do not fit. Jesus prayed for His disciples who were “in the world, but not of the world.” That longing for home, to have a home, is the compass God has placed in each one of us. No matter where we live, our inner GPS is pointing toward the Kingdom of God.

But, we must take great care. God does not want us to live, barely hanging on, waiting for Him to snatch out of this sin-drenched cesspool of a planet. How often I have heard people complain about how terrible our nation has become, and that we are becoming more sinful all the time. Have we lost our perspective? Do we not remember that only 50 years ago racial discrimination was practiced and allowed by law? Do we forget that 90 years ago we classed half of our human population as unfit to vote; i.e. “women”. How much sin did God see while we owned slaves and drove indigenous people from their lands? Please do not misread the times. There has always been plenty of sin to go around in our country; and in every other land.

Our desire for a better land has nothing to do with the difficulties in this one. It has to do with our personal identity as Christians. While my parents and grandparents were alive, I could not wait for our usual Christmas road trip from Los Angeles to Tulsa, Okla., where my grandparents lived. Often arriving late at night, or early, early morning, I always knew where my bed would be. I slept on the fold out couch in the family room. That was fine with me, because it was right next to the kitchen. I smelled Mamaw’s bacon before anyone else in the morning.

We visited other relatives and friends during that time. As a child, I didn’t mind. There were interesting knick knacks people had collected, and most adults had cookies or candy to offer us kids. As much as we enjoyed these visits, we always wanted to go home. The memories of that Tulsa home are still fresh in my memory, and I loved being with my grandparents. But, it wasn’t my home.

At that time, home was in Alhambra, Calif. I wanted to go back to my own room, play with my own toys, read my own comic books, and hang out with my own friends. I didn’t want to return because it was hard to be with my grandparents at all.

Dear one, what are you longing for? Are you longing for your true home with Christ? How does it show? Do you spend more of your time involved in growing like Christ, being in church fellowship with your friends, reaching out to the poor, just like Jesus? Or, are you longing for home because you can’t stand it here any longer? Can I suggest we need to rethink our hearts if it is the latter. No matter the state of the world, or our own country, we are called to be the healing presence of Jesus Himself. Let us visit as long as Father God wants us here, doing His will, with a taste for home in our hearts.