A Word for Weary Christians - We're Heading Home

Home...

What do you think of when you hear that word? If someone asked you where your home was, what would you tell them? Your current residence? Your hometown? Where is home for you? For me, I usually think of my parent's house back in Mt. Dora, FL. I go there when I need to get away from the business of college life, where I can relax, watch hours of Netflix, and snuggle with my dogs, Buttercup and Scrappy. I'm thankful to have a home like this to go back to for Thanksgiving this week. 

Home is a theme people love to sing about. It's the title of countless songs. One of my favorites by Gabrielle Aplin says, "Home is where your heart is set in stone. It's where you go when you're alone. It's where you go to rest your bones." What a beautiful picture of home.

The dictionary defines home as, "the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household." This definition is ironic, especially in western society where we usually don't stay in one place for too long. We're always changing homes, moving to new places, usually wherever our jobs take us.

If we do finally settle down somewhere, even then, is it possible to have a permanent residence in this life? As James in the Bible reminds us, "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14) Awesome, thanks for that encouragement James. So, what are we to do with this idea of a permanent home, in light of our temporary and frail state as human beings? Why am I even talking about this? Well, lately this hope of a permanent home has kept me going in the midst of discouragement and burn out.

Over the past few months, I've experienced a lot of transition and change, from seeing many close friends graduate college to spending the summer in a new city, working a new job, meeting new people and making new friends. Before I knew it, I was back at UF for my last year of grad school. With all this transition and change, I've had a hard time feeling confident and secure. I've felt like I'm in limbo between two seasons of life, like a part of me is ready to move on, but another part wants to make the most of this last year of school. Still, many times this semester, I've struggled to motivate myself to do things that used to come so naturally my first few years of college, like going to the usual social events, continuing old relationships and building new ones. Even my relationship with God has struggled. Many times I've had difficulty praying, believing that God would answer my prayers and that He still had a plan for my life. I noticed this overall trend of disengaging with the world around me and feeling exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was burnt out on life, and as a result, I was becoming weary and discouraged.

Have you ever been there? There’s a good chance you have been or will be at some point. The journey of life is difficult, and when things don't go as planned, it's easy for us to get discouraged along the way. So, what can we do when this happens? Is there a hope we can cling to that's secure even in the hard times? For those who might be going through a lot of difficulty and discouragement right now, I want to share with you what God has been teaching me through this season of weariness.

The Promise of a Permanent Home 

Let's go back to the idea of home. The Bible actually talks about the prospect of a permanent home for people who have trusted in God by faith:

"All these people died still believing what God had promised them…They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously, people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own…They were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-17 NLT).

The Bible paints this narrative of God, the Creator, pursuing a rebellious mankind, and ultimately restoring the relationship we were intended to have with Him through Jesus. This grand story ends in a city where man dwells with God forever. Revelation 21:3-5 says, “Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people… He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain…And the one sitting on the throne said, 'Look, I am making everything new!'"

So, according to the Bible, God is making all things new, starting with us. (2 Cor. 5:17) And one day, He will make a new heaven and a new earth, our ultimate home. (Rev. 21:1) In my times of discouragement, God has reminded me of this amazing promise, that this life is not all there is. No matter what happens here, I have something greater to look forward to. I’m heading home.

What About the Here and Now?

So lately, more than ever I’ve been longing for this home where there’s no more suffering and death. When I see things like the terrorist attacks in Paris and tragedies across the globe, when I observe my own brokenness and sinfulness, and in my times of difficulty and discouragement, I’ve found myself asking, "God can you hurry up already? How much longer will you wait to make things right? I'm so weary and sinful. I’m not sure I can keep going." I long for home, but I realize I haven't made it there yet.

So what do we do in the meantime? Well, there's good news. God hasn’t left us alone to scrape by until we make it home. Just like He guided the Israelites through the wilderness, making a home among them, He desires to make a home with each of us. In John 14:23, Jesus said, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."

As children of God, we have a Father who’s walking with us on our journey home. And in reality, our home is wherever He is. He’s not distant or inaccessible. He’s with us right here and now. His Holy Spirit literally dwells inside of us (1 Cor. 3:16), helping us in our weakness and giving us a foretaste of our future home (Romans 8:23). So, when we get discouraged and burnt out, we can bring our weary souls to Him and find rest. He’s promised to never leave us.

Additionally, as if that weren’t enough, God has provided us with a community of fellow believers to minister to us. In my times of discouragement, God has repeatedly used other believers to encourage me. God wants us to share each other’s burdens. We can’t make it alone. We need each other. We’re on this journey home together.

Final Encouragement

To close, I want to share these words from the apostle Paul who also experienced this longing for home. In his letter to the Philippians, he wrote, "I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith" (Philippians 1:23-25 NLT). 

For Paul, the whole reason he was still alive was for the sake of others, so they could experience the riches of knowing Christ Jesus like he did. This mindset has really impacted me whenever I get homesick. When I remember that God has a purpose for me here, that I'm here for the sake of others, for building up the body of Christ and sharing the gospel with people who don't know how awesome God is, it is a powerful motivation to persevere.

So weary Christians, I encourage you to keep going. Remember that God is leading you home, and that in the meantime He’s made a home with you now. This temporary world will never satisfy you or reward you for following Jesus. Your reward is found in heaven. When you feel totally burnt out, when you have nothing left to give, find rest in your Father. Spend time with Him, and He will give you the strength to keep going. 

Keep sharing the gospel with people. Keep working hard at your job, taking care of your family, and investing in the lives of others. Keep serving wherever God has placed you. For even though this world is not our permanent home, God cares about it, and everything we do here matters. Keep following Jesus. He's leading us home, and we'll be there before we know it. 

-Marc


Links to Songs About Home and Persevering:


Heading Home (a song I wrote that captures some of the thoughts in this blog):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cEunmyEiDg

A Pilgrim's Progress by Matt Papa (a song about persevering in Christ): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrY7hgYIkRA

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