Longing for Home

Every year during basketball season (which is my favorite sport, by the way), I feel as if we are barely hanging on.  We have games five nights a week - all but on Sunday and Wednesday - and  then, of course, we're busy those days with worship and Bible classes.  So there's very little time for anything else.  It doesn't last long because we're a football school and have had great football teams for several years now, so all of our basketball is crammed into a few short weeks.  And now it's basketball playoff time, so the schedule eases up a bit.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

"As long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord."  Hummmmmmm.......

Do you see what that's saying?  If we feel at home in this earthly body and are too comfortable in this world, we're away from the Lord.  Do you prefer to be away from this body and be with the Lord?  Do you long for heaven?

I must admit that at times - like during this basketball season - I get to enjoying this earthly life a little bit too much! I like watching my children play. I like being with the fans.  I like spending time as a family at these activities.  But then I get to missing my earthly home, since we've not been there too much. I "long" to be home without activities and schedules.  

But what about my heavenly home?  Do I long for it?  Of course I do, at times.  I often think if Jesus did come back "today" that none of this "stuff" would matter, but do I really long for it like I should?  Do I crave it and want it to happen soon or would I rather have Him return according to my own schedule?  I'm afraid that sometimes I enjoy this earthly life too much and would prefer Jesus to wait until a certain event is over.

If I am going to make it my goal to please Him, then I will have to begin to say in my mind, "I prefer to leave this earthly life and be at home with Him".  I must learn to deny my selfish, earthly desires, and focus on heavenly, spiritual thoughts.  This life is temporary, no matter how caught up in it we may be.  The spiritual life will last for eternity.  It's easy to forget....or fail to acknowledge....that huge fact!  It's easy to get caught up in this "season" (whether basketball or any other earthly season) and forget that it doesn't really matter in the scope of eternity!

Today, I need to be singing this song:

THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME

(Albert E. Brumley)

'52 Acclaim Music

This world is not my home I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you

If heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Let's all strive to long for home - our heavenly home.