Temporary Home

I look outside my office window where a huge oak tree stands. If you’re in our church you’ve seen two or three of these trees near our offices. They’re beautiful and large. On occasion when I ponder the tree I remember that this tree was here long before I was, and in all likelihood will be here after I depart this earth.

We often don’t think about the temporary nature of our time here on earth. We get so busy we just don't consider how time is fleeting, and that one day we’ll be home in heaven. Often, we in fact live as if this is our permanent residence only then to be surprised at the passing of a loved one, or a disruption to our health. These experiences bring back the reality once again- this is our temporary home.

The Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). It seems as though Paul had a keen understanding that life is to be lived under the reign of Christ, and that passing from this earth to heaven is even better.

He exclaims in 1 Corinthians 13:12 “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” We will be face to face with our Loving Father.

In his revelation the Apostle John echoed the sentiment, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

What a day that will be! We were made for that day because that’s our home. And when we look at the creation and ponder our frailty and impermanent state, we feel a longing for that future home. And for those of us in Christ, we don’t fear or fret that day. Rather, in expectation of that unveiling, we say as Paul, “…to die is truly gain.”

The great apologist C.S. Lewis saw this eternal longing as evidence of Christ within the believer and therefore all things here do not truly satisfy. He says, “Now, if we are made for heaven, the desire for our proper place will be already in us, but not yet attached to the true object, and will even appear as the rival of that object […] If a transtemporal, transfinite good is our real destiny, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in some degree fallacious, must bear at best only a symbolical relation to what will truly satisfy.” He goes on… “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory)

Wow! Made for another world! That’s us!

There is therefore a stewardship that should accompany a Christian’s life. A mindset that says I have been given some time here, but I am just passing through.

Live today with a heart on heaven and a clear understanding that nothing here can truly satisfy because you are a citizen of heaven; made for another world.

Allow me to close with some lyrics from a song by Carrie Underwood called “Temporary Home”

Old man, hospital bed

The room is filled with people he loves

And he whispers

"Don't cry for me, I'll see you all someday"

He looks up and says

"I can see God's face"

This is my temporary home, it's not where I belong

Windows and rooms that I'm passing through

This was just a stop on the way to where I'm going

I'm not afraid because I know

This was my temporary home