Yesterday, I wrote about the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. That nomination has brought on division and confrontation. It should bring on honest discussion and a desire to know Judge Kavanaugh and his qualifications for the court.

We always need to pray, but we especially need to pray at this point in American history.

How should we look at ourselves as citizens of this country?  Should we emphasize heaven and ignore earth? Should we emphasize earth and ignore heaven?

Our biblical perspective shows us that we are citizens of two countries.  We belong to the country where we were born and/or reside, but we have an even greater allegiance to our heavenly home.

“As committed Christians, we learn in time to think of heaven as home while our country of birth becomes a country   in which we are aliens” (John White).

This does not mean we no longer care for the place of our birth or where we live out our lives. In fact, we soon learn that obedience to Christ will make us better citizens than we might otherwise be.

This is especially so in a democracy where we have the responsibility to help govern the country and encourage its righteousness. As our life in Christ makes us the best husbands, wives, parents, or children that we can be, Christ also makes us the best citizens we could be.

For these reasons, we must seek the best for where we live while looking and longing for that city whose builder and maker is God. Abraham left and journeyed through a country, but his eyes were always on that city (Hebrews 11:10).

We must follow the example of Abraham.  While working and living to make the country more like Christ, we must look to the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that we are here for a limited time but that our Redeemer is in heaven.

Let us pray, live, and serve so that whether home or away, we please God. We must be salt and light in a country and world of tragedy, pain, and darkness.