“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”(1 Peter 2:11)
The Christian does not belong to this world. He lives in it, works in it, sometimes suffers in it, but he knows that this world is not his final home. Peter calls us foreigners and exiles, reminding us that our true homeland is heavenly and our passage here is temporary.
To live as a foreigner means to remain aware that we are just passing through. Whoever knows he is an exile or a traveler does not set his heart on temporary things. He is not attached to worldly glory, for he knows it will soon pass away. His thoughts, hope, and treasure are in heaven — in the eternal Kingdom prepared by God.
Yet, as long as we remain on earth, an invisible war continues: the war between the flesh and the soul. Fleshly desires try to draw our eyes away from heaven, to make us love the earth more than God, and to forget that we are only passing through.
That is why Peter urges us to abstain from these desires that weaken the soul and steal our inner peace.
Those who are conscious of being strangers live differently:
They guard their thoughts, knowing their thoughts guide their path.
They control their desires, refusing to be prisoners of the world they journey through.
They pursue holiness — not out of fear, but because they want to stay pure for their Lord.
Beloved, never lose this awareness: we are not from here. Each day is a step toward our real home. Let us not allow the illusions of this world to make us forget our destination. We are ambassadors of heaven, called to shine the light of the Kingdom in a dark world.
If we live with this consciousness, we will walk in peace, humility, and hope — knowing that our earthly journey is temporary, but our inheritance is eternal.
Apostle Dr. Jean-Claude SINDAYIGAYA
Witness of the grace that restores