The Sickness of Homesickness

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight."

Paul had been through it all. Sickness, persecution, beatings, shipwreck, and unfair trials. With all that hardship he always seems to understate the pain. How could that be? Because Christ was preeminent and worth every bit of it to him.

Even so, Paul still suffered and he still wavered. He still got homesick for Christ. Paul saw the risen Christ and when he did on that road to Damascus, he was unleashed from this world. He wanted to be with Christ. He saw what was in store and even then, only just a bit.

I read homesickness in the words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. Have you ever been homesick before? Once it starts, there is isn't anything that can help, except for home. Paul is saying, that while we are fighting the wars of this world, we are away from the Lord. To be with the Lord is a better thing. So what gets us through the homesickness of sickness in this world - faith.

We walk by things hoped for and the certainty of things we cannot see. We walk by the promises of God, not the emptiness of this temporary world. We walk by faith, not by sight.

That does not mean we won't be fearful. No, in fact you will be fearful. In those times, hang on to Jesus and know for certain that this is not your home. Paul is telling us to be of good courage because something better is coming.