Not having a home has some advantages

At Bible study last night we were reading Genesis 11 and 12 and talking about the movement of Abram from his homeland of Ur to Canaan. We did a quick "go around the room" and found that only one member of our group currently lived in the city of his birth. Two others were from different parts of  Mexico and 3 were from outside the country.

We talked a bit about that, and about how it can often feel like we're not at "home". For those of us from a foreign country, culture and language background, this is certainly an issue. I am reminded pretty much every day that I am not from around here - through a lack of understanding of the way things work, language failures, failing to understand the significance of certain events - all sorts of things. But then, when we go back to our original countries, we're not home there either. Things have changed, people have changed, things have moved on. Sometimes we can feel like we are homeless, citizens of no man's land.

But then when got talking about how that sense of "homeless-ness"can be a great advantage for Christians, because in many places the Bible reminds us that our hope is our future inheritance, and therefore we are now to live as aliens and strangers. ( eg: 1Peter 1:3-12, 2:11-12) We're urged not to be conformed and tied to this life, but to live lives that reflect our heavenly inheritance (Col 3:1-17).

Perhaps living as aliens in a foreign country gives us a headstart on understanding and applying these principles?