Citizens of Heaven

Philippians 3:20 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Our pastor has been preaching through the book of Philippians.  Last Sunday he talked about being citizens of heaven.  I've been mulling that phrase over in my head.  Isn't it easy to forget that our home is heaven and that are just on a long camping trip here on earth?

As citizens of heaven:

• Our allegiance must be to our Heavenly King.  Patriotism can be a good thing, but our ultimate love is for a country we have not yet seen.
• Our dialect should differ from the "locals" here on earth.  Is there a difference in their language and our language?
• Our customs should be perceived as strange by the unbelievers.  How can we commune with a Father we cannot see?  How can peace and joy fill our lives even in the midst of deepest grief?
• We should have no attachment to the fleeting temporal possessions we "own."  In fact, we're only steward of all this stuff.  We should be eagerly awaiting our upgrade to our Heavenly Home.

John Wesley wrote a hymn entitled "How Happy is the Pilgrim's Lot." I just read it this evening and it seems to be a good fit. Here it is in it's entirety:

How happy is the pilgrim’s lot!
How free from every anxious thought,
From worldly hope and fear!
Confined to neither court nor cell,
His soul disdains on earth to dwell,
He only sojourns here.

This happiness in part is mine,
Already saved from self design,
From every creature love;
Blest with the scorn of finite good,
My soul is lightened of its load,
And seeks the things above.

The things eternal I pursue,
A happiness beyond the view
Of those that basely pant
For things by nature felt and seen;
Their honors, wealth, and pleasures mean
I neither have nor want.

I have no sharer of my heart,
To rob my Savior of a part,
And desecrate the whole;
Only betrothed to Christ am I,
And wait His coming from the sky,
To wed my happy soul.

I have no babes to hold me here;
But children more securely dear
For mine I humbly claim,
Better than daughters or than sons,
Temples divine of living stones,
Inscribed with Jesus’ Name.

No foot of land do I possess,
No cottage in this wilderness,
A poor wayfaring man,
I lodge awhile in tents below;
Or gladly wander to and fro,
Till I my Canaan gain.

Nothing on earth I call my own;
A stranger, to the world unknown,
I all their goods despise;
I trample on their whole delight,
And seek a country out of sight,
A country in the skies.

There is my house and portion fair,
My treasure and my heart are there.
And my abiding home;
For me my elder brethren stay,
And angels beckon me away,
And Jesus bids me come.

“I come,” Thy servant, Lord, replies,
“I come to meet Thee in the skies,
And claim my heavenly rest”;
Now let the pilgrim’s journey end,
Now, O my Savior, Brother, Friend.
Receive me to Thy breast!

Today I'm linking up with

Faith: Living Upon Things Unseen

Too often I'm irritated by the minor inconveniences:  the creaking floors, the messy diapers, the distance to the nearest mall, days that are humid and stifling, and the constant interruptions by little Abby.  In the midst of it, I wonder: When when all of this end?  When can I rest?  When can I feel I'm finally home?

And of course you know the answer as found in Hebrews 4:9-11.  We will rest when our work is completed.  Not here, but in the presence of God.  We're sojourners traveling to a Holy City, whose "whose builder and maker is God."   What I am given today is my ministry.  I must realize this, accept it and embrace it as such. 

Horatius Bonar in his book, Night of Weeping and Morning of Joy, says:

Shall the disquieting bustle of this restless life annoy us? Faith tells us of the rest that remaineth for the people of God—the sea of glass like unto crystal on which the ransomed saints shall stand—no tempest, no tumult, no shipwreck there. Shall the lack of this world’s honors move us? Faith tells us of the exceeding and eternal weight of glory in reserve. Have we no place to lay our head? Faith tells us that we have a home, though not in Caesar’s house, a dwelling, though not in any city of earth. Are we fearful as we look around upon the disorder and wretchedness of this misgoverned earth? Faith tells us that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Do thoughts of death alarm us? Faith tells us that “to die is gain,” and whispers to us, “What, are you afraid of becoming immortal, afraid of passing from this state of death, which men call life, to that which alone truly deserves the name!”

The Label Maker

I recently heard Elizabeth Hagen speak at a Moms and Toddlers event.  Elizabeth is a professional organizer, not someone I would naturally emulate.  I am disorganized.  More so now that I'm a mom.  I'm constantly interrupted.  I begin a task and then discover another undone task and begin to work on that and then Abby begins crying.  So my house is in an undone state.  Elizabeth's presentation made organizing almost sound fun.  I took some good notes till I was notified that Abby was crying and hungry in the nursery. 

Elizabeth had three door prizes and I was fortunate enough to win a label maker.  Now I've used one in my previous jobs, but it's not a product I would consider purchasing.  Unfortunately, it still sits unopened on my table in the living room.  I know I have no excuse for not being organized.  I have the tools. I have the steps I need to take. Now I just need to take action.  I must make it a priority.  I know I can be organized, as several bosses have told me I am.  I think I've just pretended to be organized so that no one would know how disorganized I actually am.  More likely the pressing deadlines compelled me to prioritize. 

My problem is that I don't consider my home my workplace.  I guess it is now.  I've viewed it as my sanctuary, my charging station and my entertainment center.  It's so difficult to view it in a different light and focus on the tasks that must be completed in order to keep it functioning smoothly.  I've enjoyed planning major events and fundraisers, but when it comes to tomorrow's menu, I have no clue what we'll be eating.  It all depends on what I'm hungry for the moment the hunger pangs begin. 

I am slowly implementing some of the tips Elizabeth provided.  One of them was to make sure every item has a home.  I guess it's time to find a permanent location to store my new label maker. It must be put to good use.  I WILL BE organized.  It's not too late for a 2011 resolution is it?