I recently spent 5 weeks staying at a Airbnb in Bangkok.

The place was incredibly convenient. It was literally steps away from the Bangkok BTS (sky train connecting the city), surrounded by fantastic restaurants and coffee shops. It was clean and a perfect place for me to read and reflect. I absolutely loved my time there.

The place was amazing but was missing some very important things.

I am a coffee drinker. The place had no coffee maker. It can’t be just any coffee maker. I prefer to make my coffee with a french press. Speaking of french press, I like to grind my coffee beans right before I brew it in the french press because I love the way freshly ground coffee smells when it is brewing.

So imagine a conversation I might have with my wife where I might say, “Helen, I am going to get a french press and a coffee grinder for the condo. You know how important coffee is for me. It just doesn’t feel like home without it.”

Another thing. Look at that picture again. Hello?!?! There is no TV in the condo. Who doesn’t have ESPN these days?

“Helen, the place doesn’t have a TV and you know how I need my ESPN. I so I am going to get a TV for this place. And you know how I like the big screen HD TV’s. So, I’ll get one of those.”

Another thing. The place is barren. There are no pictures, no art, no plants. The place just doesn’t feel like my space. And I need it to feel like my space so I can get work done. So, I’ll invest in some art frames and pictures to make it feel more homey.

Finally, that couch has to go. Not only is it an eye-sore but it is giving me a back ache. That definitely has to be replaced.

Now, if I were to do that for a 5 week condo, wouldn’t that be silly? Wouldn’t that be a royal waste of resources? That would just be plain ol’ stupid.

Why? Because, the 5 week condo is not my home. Why would I invest in a condo that I am renting?

I wonder if God ever looks at us and says, “You do realize this isn’t your home. You do know that you’re only passing through here. You do know that you were created for eternity. Why are you acting as if this is your home?”

If heaven is for real, if God is for real, if Jesus is for real…it changes everything. This single reality changes our values, priorities, investments, and how we steward everything God entrusts to us.

So friends. You do know that we are only passing through, right?