Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 51 – Philippians 3:17-21 – Our Citizenship Is In Heaven – Growing As Disciples
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:17-21 (NIV)
Your Citizenship
Your citizenship is not on this earth. You are just passing through this life. Your life on earth is like the snap of the fingers or the blink of an eye. Your life on earth is like the mist on the ground in the morning but by midday is completely gone. All that you now see is like the water on the sun scorched road just ahead. Don’t live for a mirage. Don’t seek what will not satisfy. Don’t allow your life to become all about seeking comfort and pleasure. Don’t try to accumulate what you cannot keep. Do all these thoughts discourage you? Does the shortness of your life on earth sadden you? No, these thoughts do not discourage me. No, the shortness of my life does not sadden me. Why is that? What is your hope? One day I will come to live forever in heaven with you. You have a place prepared and kept and guarded in heaven for me. Yes, I do. The glories of this life will not compare to the splendor of heaven. In heaven there will be no sickness or sadness or mourning or death. Your glory will fill heaven. I will be breathless and in awe and bowed down before you in heaven. Praise and worship and thanksgiving will fill my heart and mind when I am in heaven with you. I will be made new in heaven. My old and tired and worn out earthly body will no longer be with me. I will have a new and glorious body like yours, when I join you in heaven. Yes, you will.
So, how will you use your remaining time on earth? What will be your focus? What will be your passion? I will tell you one thing for certain. What’s that? My heart and mind and life will be focused on you. I am eagerly waiting your return or my coming to you, whichever comes sooner. How will focusing your heart and mind and life on me guide the use of your time? I will invest my life in the things of heaven rather than on the things of earth. How so? I will seek to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. I will allow you to use me as your witness in the world. I will go wherever you guide me. I will do whatever you ask of me. I will allow your light and life to shine through me so that others will come to know and love and follow and serve you. That will be very good. Yes, it will. Thank you, Lord.
Lord, my heart and mind and life are completely focused on you. Thank you that my citizenship is in heaven with you. One day I will come to live forever in heaven with you. In the meantime, help me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Amen
Key Question… When have you discovered that your heart and mind and life were wrongly focused on earthly things?
Living It Out… Make sure that your heart and mind and life are focused on heavenly things rather than on earthly things.
Seeing It Happen… Have faith that your citizenship is in heaven with the Lord where you will one day soon live forever with Him.
Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how your heavenly focus impacts and directs your use of your time?
Prayer To Bless Others… May you focus our heart and mind and life on the Lord and your citizenship in heaven.
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