There are times when studying for a message that will be praught in the future, a friend of mine will say “Well, that’s only if you think words mean something.” Sometimes in jest, and sometimes critically asking an important question about the meaning of a text. Recently I had an experience that really made me want to say something…but I wasn’t the person on stage with a microphone, and I’d probably sound stupid….so I figured this was a better place for me to sound stupid.
We caught a bit of a “Building 429” concert at the local Decatur Celebration, and I recognized a song they were playing as one I must have heard while scanning radio stations recently. The song is titled “Where I Belong”, and brought up many of the issues I talked about in my recent post about a song I’ve written/recorded.
The lyrics of the chorus being chanted by everyone in crowd go:
“All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong”
I understand the encouragement these words can bring. To so many of us living in pain, debt, struggling with a broken world, etc…being reminded that this is not what God intends for us is a great thing. I’m hoping many of the people in the crowd would recognize, if asked, that God’s desire is not that we would get out of this world…but rather join in carrying His image INto this world.
More like:
“All I know is He’s not done yet
This is not how the world belongs
Lord, Take all I am to give them Jesus
Because this is not how the world belongs”
It’d be easy to hear the song, and figure it doesn’t much matter. After all, these are just simple side issues. The main concern is Christ. That’s true, but did you ever live in a college dorm? I remember doing some pretty silly things during those years, especially in regard to how we lived in our temporary housing. I remember duct taping the drains in the shower, and putting a wooden door (lined with trashbags and duct tape) in it’s entry-way so that with all the showers turned on hot – the small “group shower” room turned into a giant hot tub. There were plenty of things we did, that only happened because we weren’t concerned for what happened to Chapman Hall after we moved out.
But now I live in a house, that we’re continuing to make our home. It actually turns 100 years old next year. I’m not OCD about getting nicks and dents in walls….but I would never flood a room just to pretend it’s a hot tub. 🙂 So much of what the follower of Christ is transformed for the sake of – involves living out a transformed God-bearing life into a creation that actually IS intended to be our home. We believe that God put great care into creating this world, and placing us in it to be His image-bearers. I love this world. I’m making myself at home here, and look forward to what it will look like when made new/swallowed up by God’s presence completely.
So when another follower of Jesus looks at me and smiles, shouting “I can’t wait to leave this place!!”….I try to hear them saying “I can’t wait for Jesus to make all things new!”
I know we have the same desire…right?
words from wick 
Could this not be in line with Hebrews 6:13-16?
Hebrews 11:13-16 you probably mean? Hebrews 11 seems to be about living by faith and not by sight – meaning living as those who recognize Jesus is Lord here and now, even if it doesn’t look that way. The word used for “country” in verse 14, and referred back to in 15 & 16 is not a place they hope to live in “someday in the future”, but rather “patris”, which has more to do with where they are coming from…a hometown…where they have roots/heritage as a people.
Also, I’d be willing to argue that Revelation describes the “city prepared” as being a city that, while prepared elsewhere, is established on earth.