Spiritual Dementia: Where am I?

My mother-in-law fidgeted with her IV and clawed at the ice pack on her leg. “Where am I?”

The anesthesia and her moderate dementia teamed up for a few weeks following knee replacement surgery, and she couldn’t remember where she was. Even after we brought her home, my mother-in-law’s familiar surroundings were familiar no longer.

And it ate at her. Restless and frustrated, she lashed out as her mind searched for home and finally went back ten years to another apartment and another city.

But nothing matched. Different floor plan. Different furniture. Different.

Sometimes, I suffer from the same thing, but it’s spiritual dementia instead. I look around, and I’m frustrated. Here doesn’t feel like home.

And it’s not supposed to.

We live in a fallen world. Things are broken here, and we don’t have to watch the news to figure this one out. We see it within our own walls. Sibling clashes, parenting challenges, marital struggles. Relationships are tough. Broken people have sharp edges, and we find ourselves covered with cuts and scrapes.

I want to go home, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”(Revelation 21:3-4 NIV)

Home.

But for now?

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:22-25)

Or, perhaps, not so patiently.

God does give us a sneak preview. Part of the Lord’s Prayer reads, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

We see glimpses of God’s kingdom here.

God’s truth proclaimed.

The unlovely loved.

Changed lives.

Hurts healed.

Release from bondage.

Sneak previews all. They encourage our homesick hearts. Though we long for home, we must remember where we are and establish His kingdom here in our personal spheres of influence.

How? Obey the King.

Questions:

Do you have expectations that don’t match where you live? Culture perhaps?

Do you want to blend in or push back?

What are you most looking forward to about heaven?

How can you establish God’s kingdom here? What are some specific actions you can apply to daily life?

Tweetables:

Here doesn’t feel like home. And it’s not supposed to. Click To Tweet
Broken people have sharp edges, and we find ourselves covered with cuts and scrapes. Click To Tweet
God does give us a sneak preview. Part of the Lord’s Prayer reads, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) We see glimpses of God’s kingdom here. Click To Tweet
Remember where you are and establish His kingdom in your personal sphere of influence. Click To Tweet

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