Our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil. 3:20)
THE LETTER FROM THE GOVERNMENT came to the Kalenges by special delivery. When Solomon recounted what happened, he shared that he had a feeling the message was not going to be positive. As he tore open the envelope and pulled out its contents, his hands shook. Slowly, he unfolded the sheet of paper. Although he could not read it, he could see that it was an official document. He handed it to his grandson to read. “This is to inform you that, due to changes in our laws, you are being asked to leave Zimbabwe.”
As he listened he began to feel like a man without a country. Years before he had migrated from Tanzania to find a better life in Zimbabwe. He felt frustrated that he and his wife were now being asked to leave. Eventually, they were able to appeal the decision and stay in Zimbabwe.
Weeks later his wife Merina gave a spiritual application for this incident. She said, “We no longer feel like Tanzanians after living in Zimbabwe for so many years. So when the Zimbabwean government wanted us to leave, we felt like people without citizenship anywhere.” Solomon added, “Then we remembered that as Christians we are citizens of heaven. It is a citizenship we will be able to hold on to for eternity!”
Make heavenly citizenship your priority.
Jim Lo is the author of Connect with God: The Purpose of Prayer (Wesleyan Publishing House) and the dean of chapel at Indiana Wesleyan University.
