Last Friday a co-worker of mine braved the coming snow from Nemo and made his way downtown to the courthouse to attend the ceremony where he would officially become a citizen of the United States of America.
It was quite a day for him! One that he had worked towards for some time. And it was not that he didn’t love his original country, but he had developed reasons to become a part of this one.
I found myself quite proud of my American heritage as well. But it also got me thinking about me citizenship and how I can relate to his earning and desire to be a part of a different place. No, I really have no desire to change my American citizenship, but on the spiritual side, well that’s something to consider.
For it’s on the spiritual side that we find that we who accept the Christ are given a new citizenship
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, Eph 2:19 NIV
and are called to live in a way shows we belong to a different place
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (NIV)
But for some reason, I think that will also make the place were we are better!
Anyway, give thought to the way you consider your citizenship today.