A Practical Walk

“For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord – for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Cor. 5:1-10 NET

During difficulties these verses remind me that it’s normal to feel “weighed down,” to “groan.” Isn’t it our tendency when we feel this way to assume we’re doing something wrong? While our sins definitely do cause turmoil, feeling weighed down does not necessarily equal living in sin.

Somedays I really “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” That’s not a bad thing to feel that. I mean who wouldn’t want to be with a perfect God instead of living in a place full of sinners and the consequences of sin? But for now, He has me here. The groanings serve to remind me this world isn’t my home and I just “can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”*

So for now I refocus. My heart groans as I see my kids yet again say goodbye to friends. I get nervous as I look to a blurry future and I’m not sure how things will pan out. But God…help me focus on the eternal, help me focus on You, help me focus on directing as many people as I can to Your eternal hope. The hope that keeps me going, can be their hope too.

* “This World is Not My Home” lyrics, one of my favorite songs.