“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)
As a Christian, you are a citizen of two cities; one on earth and one that is to come. You are called to live your life here and now as a faithful follower of Jesus, all the while setting your mind on “things that are above”, where Jesus Christ is. By doing so, you guard yourself from being too influenced by the attractions and mindset of this world. Keeping your connection to the Lord God strong helps you discern “what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). It will certainly be a blessing for a city or nation to have this kind of citizens! If we get our values from God’s Kingdom, others will definitely profit.
If, on the other hand, we are so absorbed by our earthly city that we forget about the future beyond our physical death, our eternal happiness is at stake. If we are completely conformed to this world and feel at home here, our citizenship is not in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Then we don’t have a future with the Lord God.
I hope this series of devotionals inspired you to seek your city’s good, but most of all to look forward to “the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).