The Truth About Home

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3

Have you ever felt an incessant itch for adventure and wonder? Are you waiting for a reason or a clear sign? Have you, by chance, already started your adventure? Before the World Race I craved a more thrilling life. As I cashed checks, opened bank accounts and did other menial tasks bankers do, I constantly wondered what it would take to traverse the world. During this time, I began to see Jesus as my Savior instead of a morally upright man. Once I submitted myself to Christ, the adventure I was craving began and a life transformation happened.

You see, my itch to see the world made me restless and discontent in Oklahoma. Calling a single place home was not appealing to me. The World Race was the perfect opportunity to break me out of my complacency. When I left on the race God began to do a mighty work in me, reshaping my life in the process. Since then, God has led me on a journey redefining what home means.

While living overseas and meeting fellow believers, I found myself identifying with them nationally, ethnically, and culturally. Who I am as a child of God superseded any other form of “personhood.” If our identity in Christ takes precedence, it is a sign that we are finding a home in the will of God. Wherever He places us is our abode. No matter where I was during my travels, I was content and never desired to stay somewhere longer than I did. After my time spent on the World Race, Spain, and Swaziland, I had peace for whatever came next. I have been learning an important thing – finding contentedness in all things

On the Open Door Movement, God has been teaching me more about being content where you are. Being able to volunteer at the WestTown Day shelter in Oklahoma City, which provides homeless individuals with basic needs and services, was a huge step for me in learning that lesson. Before this trip, I was never satisfied by my time in Oklahoma. My mind and heart were always ready for the next big adventure and I paid little heed to what God was doing in my hometown.

God used volunteering at the Day Shelter as a bridge across the gap between my mission life and my life in Oklahoma City. The question always lingered, why is it so much harder to engage in ministry in my hometown, while living a missional life elsewhere? There are several reasons: fear of looking foolish knowing Oklahoma City is a more permanent place, always focusing on the next adventure, and living as if time home was my own. So, volunteering at the Day Shelter was a major step in the progression of my faith walk. It was like two lives came together as one.

Putting it another way, my home is in God’s will and wherever He wills is where I need to be. If God calls me to root myself in a single location, I know He has a great purpose that I cannot see. He does not waste time and no matter where I am, I know He is using me to build His Kingdom. King Jesus lived to do the will of the Father, and our lifestyle should exemplify nothing less.

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:38-40

God has called us to take part in His redemptive work to restore all things. As Christians, we should settle for nothing less than being active members of the Kingdom of God wherever we are. Home is so much greater than a place, a feeling, or a hope, it is an eternal reality, and complete only in God – where you are now. So, if you feel lost, discontent, or homeless, know that God stated otherwise when you rose from the grave with Christ. Now, He beckons every person to find their home and themselves in Him.

// Jessi