Citizenship

DEVOTION
EPHESIANS
CITIZENSHIP
Eph 2:17-20
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

I certainly was far away, far away from God, I was not one of those people who were near to God but still did not know the peace. No, I was so far away I can’t believe he came and got me. Yet here I am having access to my Father through the Spirit. I am no longer a foreigner and alien as far as the Kingdom of God is concerned. I am a citizen of his household. But that also means I am now a foreigner and alien of this world. I cannot have dual citizenship. I cannot be a member of both families. I had to give up my citizenship to this world. I had to become an alien to this world. Yet I have to ask do I still live as a member of this world’s family. I have to ask myself if I am trying to be citizens in both realms. Can I enjoy some of the benefits of this world as an alien? Are there any benefits of this world? I do enjoy a certain amount of the creature comforts as well as I know that my Father in Heaven desires for me to have a certain sum of them as he has told me so. He has insisted on my knowing if I seek him first he will give me these too. But those things should not be my focus or things I place value on, as a treasure. No I must place my value on being a citizen of his kingdom and an alien to this world. My home is in his kingdom, this is where I belong. And as such the time I spend here needs to be spent wisely. Can I enjoy times of relaxation? Of course! But my main focus should be sharing his word with others. Helping others to see his truth, his peace, his joy, his loving kindness as well as getting their passport updated and their citizenship changed. This is my function, my calling, my part of being a productive involved citizen in the Kingdom of God.