I'm Leaving
What would change about your day if you remembered that you’re leaving soon? And I mean leaving here for heaven… In other words, you know Jesus and He has given you forgiveness and a new life and promised you a guaranteed place in heaven and soon this life will be over and you’ll be in paradise forever with no more drama, no more pain or problems or fears. So the question is, what would change about your day if you really, truly remembered the fact that you’re leaving here for heaven and then lived like it was really true? Why don’t you do this - go to a mirror, look yourself in the eye and say, “I’m leaving soon. This world is not my home. It will never feel like home. Jesus has reserved a place in heaven for me. That is my home, and I am leaving here soon.”
What if you started every day like that? What if the first words out of your mouth when you woke up were, “I’m leaving.”? What if you kept that little phrase on your lips all throughout your day so that whenever something stressful comes up, your gut reaction is to say to yourself, “No big deal… I’m leaving soon.” What if that phrase was sort of like your motto - so that whenever you would normally be tempted to feel afraid of the future, instead, you just automatically whisper to yourself - “Whatever, I’m leaving soon anyway.” What if those two little words were your ‘go-to’ words whenever you feel discontent with where you are or what you have or what you want? What if the instant you started feeling discontent, you just said to yourself - “I’m leaving.” - and what if that changed everything?
In Philippians 3, Paul talks about these people who are enemies of the cross of Christ and he says these folks are only focussed on this world and what it can offer and they are obsessed with what they can get for themselves, and then he says that you and I are different. What’s different about us? Just one little thing…. Check it out. He says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
We’re eager for heaven. That’s what makes us different. Our longing for heaven is the thing that changes the whole game. We’re not looking to this world to fill us up or make us happy or give us worth. We’re leaving. That’s what separates us. Don’t you see that nothing in this world can touch you? Don’t you see that the worst this world can do is take your life, and that ain’t much after all? Dang! When my last breath flies out of my face, I’m going to close my eyes on this busted up, hateful world and then open them on heaven and home. I’m going to open my eyes on the face of Love Himself and He’ll smile, and then I’ll smile and He’ll say, “Welcome home.”
We’re leaving soon. Our problems will be over soon. Our fears are less than nothing. Our worries are pathetic compared to the glory that awaits us. Our trials and sufferings are hard, but they’re almost over. We’re leaving. We won’t be here for long. Say it to yourself today: “I’m leaving.” Say it tomorrow when you wake up: “I’m leaving.” Say it when you’re afraid and worried and tempted: “I’m leaving!” Say it over and over and over again: “I’m leaving!”