Homes come in all different shapes, sizes, and layouts. Some homes are large, multi-story structures with all of the creature comforts a person could wish for. Others are small single-story shacks with the bare necessities. Homes are a special part of our lives that we often take for granted. They are our bases of operation, our protection from the elements, our safe place for valuables, and the place we rest and recuperate from the labors of life.
But why are our homes so special to us? Maybe it’s because home is where you can be yourself. It’s where you can let your hair down and relax. It’s where you can temporarily escape from many of the external pressures of life that constantly compete for your attention.
In John 14:2-3, Jesus speaks of our eternal home with Him—I go and prepare a place for you . . . that where I am, there ye may be also.Though we are not given all the specifics of what our heavenly home will look like, we are given the most important detail of this home—Jesus will be there. The most relaxing, most enjoyable, and most peaceful home that we could ever experience is the one where, on any given day, we can fellowship face-to-face with the God of the universe. Because He already knows us to our very core, we don’t have to put on a show, pretend to be someone else, or try to measure up. We can simply be who we are in the presence of the One who loves us unconditionally for eternity. Now that is what I call home!
We don’t have to wait, though, until Heaven to dwell with Jesus. In John 14:23, Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” He said a few verses later, “Abide in me, and I in you.” As believers, our bodies are the dwelling place of Christ. He lives in us. His Spirit has moved in permanently, and He wants to fellowship with us right now!
This world puts a lot of stock in physical homes, but in reality, home is simply the place where Jesus dwells.