Where Will I Live?

What do we think about when answering the question, Where will I Live? If you are like me, you will probably think about the state, city or country you will live in; the neighborhood, and, of course, the house itself. Let’s talk about things we really should consider when thinking about these three scenarios.

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17, NKJV

My City, State, or Country

Where will I Live? Will I stay where I am, will I move, will I live in another country?

In the next devotional, What is my Purpose, we learned that I have a purpose; that purpose is necessary; and no one purpose is more important than the other.

This third devotional, Where will I Live, follows the same train of thought.

Beginning with I am a Christian with a purpose to live for Christ that is necessary and unique, we are already beginning to answer the question, Where will I Live? Right away our thinking pattern starts to change. We begin to realize that our purpose in life begins to dictate where we will live. If our purpose involves more education, we will either live on a campus, or live at home and commute to receive our education.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 says, Stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, (Paul and other leaders in the church) either by our spoken word (preaching) or by our letter (the Bible). This adds more weight to our decision. Will I have a place to attend worship on my campus; will I have Christian friends to encourage me to be consistent in my walk with Christ?

Where will I Live after I graduate? Wherever my vocation takes me, will there be a church where I can fellowship with other believers? If I am required to live in another country, is there a church or a mission work that I can be involved in while living there?

If my purpose in life does not involve more education, we again need to think of finding a job close to a church to encourage us to continue our walk with Christ. This may be a perfect time to try living in a new location, maybe even in another country. Again, though, consider your opportunities to fellowship with other believers. Living in another country may provide a first hand experience in working with other cultures, and being a help and support to nearby missionaries. What a boost that would be to you as well as to them.

Where will I Live? These choices are important to make early in your adult life. The decisions you make now will have a dramatic affect on what happens for the rest of your life.

My Neighborhood

Where will I Live? Will I stay where I am, will I live in neighborhood with lots of people, will I live in a neighborhood with neighbors who live far away; or will I live in a neighborhood where most of the people speak a different language?

You are probably already gaining some insights into this decision, as well, based upon what we have already discovered. Our focus continues on being a Christian who lives for Christ. Other factors will bear on this decision as you go through life. Every decision you make will in some way be connected to the neighborhood in which you live.

Where will you Live? When you marry and have a family, you will have new factors to consider. Will it be better for my children to live in a city, where there are more educational opportunities; will it be better to live in the country so my children can run freely, and help out with the chores, especially if you live on a farm?

Does it make you a better or worse Christian if you live in a tent, or if you live in an average house in an average town, or if you live in a mansion? These may be the first things we think of, but they, in themselves, do not make us a better Christian.

Where will I Live? The most important factor in these decisions still remains to be, Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

My House

Where will I Live? Will my house be large or small, yellow or white, stucco or brick? What will my house look like?

I find this a particularly interesting question. We think of the size of the house, the color of the house, the age of the house, etc. Yet, as a Christian, we have already discovered that none of these things make us a better or a worse Christian.

The Bible does give us some interesting guidelines in this area. Look at these two verses from Psalms and Proverbs. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. Psalms 37:21

What is the Bible telling us here; does this mean we are never supposed to borrow money? There is a lot of debate over this, but that is not my purpose here in bringing these verses to mind. The real message in these verses for this devotional is, when we think of the question, Where will I live, it is important to live within your means. If you borrow, make sure you repay. If the payments are too large to make comfortably, buy a less expensive house. Isn’t that an interesting thought? Even how we spend our money is governed by the principles in God's Word. We tend to have the focus on the wrong things.

Where will I Live? In a place that is just right for my budget. We may snub the rich, and say he should give more money to charities. We may raise the rich man up to the highest office in the church just because he is rich. We may snub the poor and say he is not fit to rule because he hasn’t handled his money right, or is not smart enough to be a leader. Neither of these sentiments are encouraged in God’s Word.

Every person alive has dignity and worth because he is made in the image of God. We are never to think more of ourselves when we see others in less fortunate situations, or less intelligent, etc. And, we are not to think less of oursevles when we see others who have much more than we have.

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

Where Will I Live?

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