View Toward Home!

Life is filled with many varied activities, many of which we enjoy and then what do we do? We go home! Sometimes that "going home" is with sadness that the fun or joy of the activity is over. It was fun while it lasted, but alas, now we must go home; returning to the everyday and mundane and ordinary stuff of life. Oh, how often we might have wished the time that seemed to have flown by so fast was still here.

Does that also reflect our view of this life's end? It seems even as Christians we often view death with mixed feelings; wanting the reward, but also desiring to hang on to what we have here in this realm.

Jesus encouraged the disciples prior to His arrest and death on the cross. . .
"(1) LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. Believe in God; believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, THAT WHERE I AM YOU MAY BE ALSO." ( John 14:1-3 ESV)

What is our view of home? Perhaps it depends on what we view as home. What marks our sense of homeness and how is it impacting the manner in which we live? Do we view death with a sense of regret for what is left behind or do we hold a view toward something truly BETTER yet to come? Jesus' encouragement to the disciples was to not fear or be troubled in view of what might seem to be the end. Death would be a journey home to be forever in the presence of the Lord.

In Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth he stated. . .
"(6) So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are AT HOME IN THE BODY WE ARE AWAY FROM THE LORD, (7) for we walk by faith, not by sight. (8) Yes, we are of good courage, and we would RATHER BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD." ( 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ESV)

A sense of homeness can be the view of life in this body or toward the eternity with Christ. Which do we view as BEST? Though Paul acknowledged his God given purpose in this realm, he saw for himself that "to depart and be with Christ ... is FAR BETTER." (from Philippians 1:23 ESV) That was where his greatest personal desire rested and he looked forward to going home with great joy!

It is not merely a life after death the Lord has promised, but A BETTER ONE (note Hebrews 11:16); one not prone to disappointment and pain, but to eternal joy. It is THE PLACE where there will be "No wishing for elsewhere to be." [from "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be", by Bridgewater and Bland © 1920] May we live life now joyfully fulfilling the purposes for which we have been given life as we look forward to the time when we will eagerly and happily go home.

Have a great day KNOWING THERE'LL BE NO OTHER PLACE LIKE HOME!
Carl

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