Homesickness

'That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.' {Ephesians 1:10}

In this verse we are given the purpose of God's eternal plan that has been working itself out in history.  It’s all to this end, the consummation of all things in Him.  This is the event that all creation is waiting for and longing for.

It's the reason for that lack of peace.  The reason we can never seem to arrive or get there.  The reason why we never really feel satisfied, is because at the deepest level, we remember the Garden of Eden.  So there is this understanding within each of us that we we’re made to live in relationship with God.  But that was fractured in the garden with the fall and so now we think we want this or we think we want that, and then we get it, and it doesn’t satisfy us or bring us peace.  And the reason for that is, because ‘God has placed eternity in our hearts’ and at the deepest level, we’re desperately trying to recover what was lost in the garden.  As the twentieth century philosopher Martin Heidenger said that all human beings are characterized by a kind of homesickness.  We’re all in a sense, alienated and feel as though we’re not really home in this world.  We find that our deepest desires are all at variance with this world.

And so those times, when we see beauty, or get caught up in a song and just get lost in it, or those times when we’re standing outside in the mountains watching the sun set and it’s so beautiful it takes your breath away.  What that is is God calling out to you.  Those are faint reminders of what God intended.  As C.S. Lewis said in his essay titled, the Weight of Glory, ‘These beautiful things are not the thing itself (not what we’re really desiring) they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.’  

And so every beautiful sunset, and every longing of the heart is communicating to us that God loves us and wants to restore us to that place of wholeness and home.  I was reminded of this the other day as I sat on my front porch watching the sun set.  It was one of those amazing Colorado afternoons that we get here where the clouds had rolled in in just such a way that the shafts of light we’re breaking through the clouds and creating these columns of light. It was so beautiful it just took your breath away.  And then I was reminded of what Augustine said, ‘If these are the pleasures afforded to sinful men, what does God have in store for those whose hearts are his?’

These moments are like the previews of the coming attraction which is when God comes back and establishes His kingdom on earth.  And in that day, all things will be gathered together in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.   

  

The Heart of the Matter

God wants your heart.  Over and over and over again the scriptures place the emphasis on the inner life.  In the Bible, there are more than 800 direct references to the heart.  There are more then 300 direct references to the soul.  And there are more then 100 direct references to the mind.  Beyond this, there are countles allusions to the soul, countless allusions to the mind, countless illusions to the heart.  God is constantly addressing the issue of the heart.   I think we need to stop and ask ourselves why?  Why would God hammer home and speak to this particular issue so frequently.

In the Proverbs we read, ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.’ {Proverbs 4:23}  In other words, just as a river flows from its source and waters an entire village and feeds the crops and sustains life in that village.  That’s like your heart.  It is the fountain-head from which all of life flows. And that’s why, for God the essential aspect of our life is the heart.  The first commandment is love the Lord your God with all of your heart…  because it all flows from there.

And I think that’s part of what makes this thing so difficult for a lot of us.  Jesus wants our hearts.  And He ruthlessly and aggressively pursues our hearts until they are His.  But that's not necessarily what we always want.  Giving God access to our hearts can get messy.  It can get ugly.  We don't really want God digging around at the core issues of our lives.  So we'd rather just pretend like everything is ok, even when it's not.  

The problem with this is over and over again God attacks right action that doesn’t have a right heart to it.  Jesus said, ‘This people draws near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.  And in vain they worship Me.’ {Matthew 15:8-9a}  What that means is, you can do all the right things, but if your hearts are in the wrong place, it doesn’t please God.  God wants our hearts.  If our hearts aren’t engaged, then our worship and our work for God are in vain.  True worship engages the heart.  Dutiful worship is a contradiction in terms.

Ok, so what should those of us who aren’t there and aren’t experiencing that in their hearts do?  I mean, I’m talking to those of us who are here and would say, my hearts just not there.  My heart’s dead.  Or maybe, you used to have this sweet real intimate connection with God but lately your heart has just become cold.  What can you do? 

Here's what Jesus had to say to a church that had lost that love and feeling... 'Remember from where you have fallen from, repent, and do again the first works.'  His advice to the church in Ephasis was, go back to what it was like in the beginning.  And repent of your sin, and then just fall in love with Jesus all over again.  

--Daniel