This World Is Not Our Home

The Bible For Self-Improvement

This holiday season, my family spent the night in the hospital when my son had a horrible virus-triggered asthma attack.

It started at home and before we knew it, we were at the urgent care on Christmas day and then transported to a room in the Children’s Hospital.

We only had to stay for one night, but early on in our stay, I believed we would only be there for a few hours.

I was confident we were going home.

I was wrong.

But thank God my parents were in town because knowing we didn’t eat, they brought us Christmas dinner packed well with plates and silverware to make sure we were comfortable and well nourished.

I found myself unable to eat at first because I couldn’t shake the feeling of being displaced.

This wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

Eating here felt like an attempt to make something familiar in a temporary place.

This feeling, I realized was placed in my heart as a lesson.

As a believer, I view this world for what it is.

This world is not my permanent home.

I’m just passing through, just like I was passing through this hospital room.

They knew I was hungry and kept encouraging me to eat, but all I was thinking about was getting my son healthy and going home. Immediately, I was reminded of Hebrews 13:14

I didn’t want to get comfortable. I was ready to forgo my cravings.

This hospital is not my home.

As I considered how I felt, I was reminded of the world we live in. Imperfect, troubled, and in need of hope. The outlook at times can seem grim. Between wars and rumors of wars, famine, drought, wildfires, and natural disasters. But why are we surprised? Because we are followers of Christ, we knew this would be the outcome.

While I sat in that hospital room, it became clear to me that while I longed for my physical home, it was the heavenly home that mattered most. Just as I waited to bring my son home, we must also wait for our true, eternal home. The trials of this world, however difficult are temporary.

This world is not our permanent home, and don’t you ever treat it like it is.