Vacation season has begun. Many will be heading out to various destinations—cell phones and sunscreen in hand—excited to see and experience new things. Some of us will travel great distances and enter a totally different culture for a few days or weeks; others will take their vacations closer to home. Whether we revisit familiar places with family or friends or fly to some exotic destination where another language is spoken, summer vacations are a welcome change from work and school routines. 

In my devotional this month I want to ask a simple question about spiritual life that’s tied to this idea of travel. As a follower of Jesus, do you live in His kingdom as a RESIDENT or a TOURIST?

Have you unpacked your bags and “moved in” as a resident? If so, you realize you still have a lot to learn to become fully encultured, but you’re eager to begin (or complete) the process. If you’re still hesitant about fully identifying with your “new land” and don’t feel ready to adopt all its expectations and ways of living, you’re still a tourist. You want to enjoy the good things about God’s kingdom, but you want the freedom to head out if things become too difficult.

Jesus had harsh words for people who professed to follow Him but were not fully committed. “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

The illustration was likely clearer to Jesus’ audience, who came from farming backgrounds, than it is to city dwellers like us. They would know that plowing a straight line with an animal requires the farmer to keep his eyes fixed ahead. If he turns to look back at something behind him, the furrow he’s making in the soil will be crooked, making planting and harvesting more difficult. A productive field is a field with straight furrows. Here’s what I think Jesus is saying to all would-be disciples:

Don’t follow me half-heartedly. Give your full attention to the spiritual crop you want to produce and don’t let distractions pull you away. Serving in my kingdom means investing your time, energy, and focus in discovering who I am and how my kingdom works. It’s not a VACATION but a lifelong VOCATION! 

How do we determine whether we’re living as residents or tourists in His kingdom? Here are a few markers that will help:

1. Tourists seek fun and pleasure primarily.

They like to learn a little about the new culture while they’re there, but that isn’t their main goal. Residents, on the other hand, are willing to shoulder responsibility and put in hard work to advance the interests of their homeland. They see themselves as part of something far more important than their personal pleasure, so they’re willing to invest some sweat equity to secure a better future—both for themselves and for others.

• Tourists are welcomed in because of the monetary benefit they bring, but they’re not seen or treated as “equals” by the locals.

They have no voice or stake in the culture they’re visiting. Since they are “here today and gone tomorrow,” no one cares about their opinion or seeks to partner with them. In contrast, residents have the ear of their community leaders; their opinions matter to their neighbors and those in charge. Not everyone who’s local necessarily agrees about how things should go, but because they are “in it” for the long haul, they have status in the community and can partner with others to bring about change.

• By their very nature, tourists are never considered more than short-term encounters.

People who meet each other on vacation may have good intentions to stay in touch when they return home—they may even exchange phone numbers or email addresses. But this rarely happens. Once they go back to their places of residence, real life takes over. Residents, on the other hand, can invest in long-term relationships, knowing they will be intersecting with other residents over an extended period of time. Their shared values, goals, and way of life give meaning and substance to their interactions.

• Tourists expect their host countries to cater to them (not the other way around).

Most tourists, because they’re contributing to the country by spending money, figure their time there should be all about them. They want their host countries to speak their language, offer meals and other services on their time schedules, and anticipate their needs beforehand. They find it annoying and frustrating when they’re thrown into situations where they don’t understand what’s happening. They want to feel in control. By contrast, those who move to a new country expect to learn the language, adapt to the local lifestyle, and conform their preferences to the new reality. They recognize they’ve chosen to be a part of this new community, so all the adjustments to be made will be made by them.

Once we’ve experienced new birth through faith in Jesus, we are “no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19). We’re permanent residents of His heavenly kingdom. But we can still choose HOW we live within that kingdom. If we have a tourist mentality, we’ll have little influence or impact for good in the world, and our spiritual harvest will be meager. Our relationships with other members of God’s kingdom will be shallow, and we’ll get frustrated with the challenges we’ll encounter as we conform to our new life “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).  

How much better it is for us to decide to move in, unpack our bags, and begin the hard but exciting journey towards becoming fully encultured into God’s kingdom. We’ll be inconvenienced, frustrated, and discouraged at times but the desire to become more like Jesus will keep us going. We’ll discover the “incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7), and that we can “do all things through him who gives [us] strength” (Philippians 4:13). Permanent residents, after all, have rights and privileges that tourists don’t enjoy.

We’ll also “find our voice” and, with others, change the world for the better. So, let’s joyfully shoulder the responsibilities of His kingdom, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. His kingdom will feel strange at first. We’ll wonder if we’ll ever become fluent or adapt to His ways. But with the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit and the wise counsel of His Word, we’ll find what we need to persevere.

In his book Culture: Living as Citizens of Heaven on Earth, A. W. Tozer writes: “To accept Christ it is necessary that we reject whatever is contrary to Him.” We can’t be a resident of two cultures that oppose one another and keep our sanity. Joshua challenged the Israelites in his day: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Lord Jesus, I confess I sometimes live as a tourist in your kingdom. Forgive me for my selfish, entitled ways and help me to mentally unpack my bags and learn how to live as a citizen of heaven. Thanks for being patient and continuing to invite me into a deeper walk with you. In your holy name I pray, Amen.