Living in Philadelphia was quite the experience. Our children were city kids through and through, used to short walks to corner stores, the hum of traffic outside, and the glow of streetlights filling the night. Grass was rare, and if you found some, you made sure your sneakers didn’t get dirty.
When we moved to New Jersey, everything changed. The nights were quiet, stores were miles away, and walking on grass felt like walking through a minefield, not because it was dangerous, but because it was unfamiliar. We were city people trying to adjust to suburban life. It didn’t take long for others to notice that we weren’t from around there.
Spiritually, it’s much the same for believers. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Just as our family’s city habits revealed where we came from, our spiritual walk should reveal where our true home is.
A.W. Tozer once wrote that our culture, our thinking, and everything belongs up there, in heaven. In other words, our actions, attitudes, and values should reflect the Kingdom we belong to, not the world we live in. We are heavenly citizens navigating earthly streets.
That sometimes means we won’t fit in. Our priorities may look strange. Our choices may confuse those who don’t understand why we live with eternity in mind. But this sense of being different is not something to hide; it’s evidence of our heavenly identity.
When we live as citizens of heaven, even here on earth, people notice. They see patience where there should be anger, grace where there could be judgment, peace in places of chaos, and in those moments, our lives quietly point to the One who reigns above.
As you walk through this world, whether on city streets or in quiet suburbs, remember that your true home is not here. You belong to heaven. Walk confidently as one who carries its culture wherever you go.
So I ask, when others see your life, do they recognize that your citizenship is in heaven?
Frank D.