JANUARY 18, 1 Peter 2:11-12 

The most popular destination for people who travel is their own home. This is not surprising as our home is where we feel most comfortable, where we are with the familiar, and with people we love most. Home is where we can be ourselves. The problem for God’s people today is they are too comfortable with the things of the world. Even the strongest Christian is not immune to the snares and attractions of the world. Therefore Peter, in the most affectionate and earnest terms, exhorts them “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims...” We are to be strangers and pilgrims in this world as we are citizens of heaven and on our way to the Heavenly City.

But how do we make ourselves “strangers and pilgrims”? One way is to remind ourselves of exactly that – we are not of this world, our citizenship is of heaven, and our king is the Heavenly King. We will need to constantly remind ourselves to remain pure and strong.

When we travel to far-off exotic places, some of the things they eat will appear strange to us. Do you know that some people in other countries eat rats, grilled bats, and camels’ feet? But let us not laugh at them; our customs may appear taboo to them!

The main point to learn here is – we do not do what others may do in distant lands because we are strangers. That is not what we typically do. If we can understand that as Christians, we are to be strangers and pilgrims, then we must not follow the world blindly. This does not mean whatever the world does is wrong. What we have to do is to check what the world does against the Word of God. What God forbids, we should never do.

Thought: This world is not my home, I am just passing through.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to assess the things of this world with the truth of Thy Word so I will know how to live the life of a true pilgrim, because this world is not my home. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.