Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1–8| Listen: 2 Corinthians 5

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Corinthians 5:1

Paul writes to the Corinthians in the wake of deep suffering and a strained relationship with their church. False teachers in Corinth use his hardships to question whether he is a legitimate apostle. Paul points past his circumstances to something greater. He compares his weary, aging body to a tent—useful, but temporary and easily worn down. In contrast, he describes an eternal house in heaven, built by God himself, that suffering cannot touch. Paul isn’t downplaying his pain. He’s reminding the Corinthians, and himself, that the earthly body and this life are not the final destination.
 

We can feel that same tension. Life wears us down, and our bodies fail. We might wonder if this world is as good as it gets, with all its grief and gladness, struggles and successes. If we don’t hunger for heaven, we’ll be tempted to build our hope on things that cannot satisfy. Our true home is where Christ is, and this world is not our permanent address. We can rest in the comfort of knowing that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). We were made for a place we haven’t yet seen, and our restlessness here can point us back to Jesus and the promise of a home with him.

TODAY: Identify one area where you’ve been settling for temporary comfort instead of remembering your eternal home. Ask God to help you live in that area with heaven in mind. “Father, I admit I’ve been putting my hope in _____________ rather than my home with you. Help me live each day remembering my true home is with Jesus. Amen.”