Last Monday, I overheard a hallway conversation passing by my office at my working place. A person asked his converser, “Are you still at the same job?” The converser answered, “I am not there anymore. I moved to a new job weeks ago.” This conversation prompts me to think a little bit, as one of my colleagues just moved to a new position a week ago. It seems to me job churning is becoming a common norm nowadays.

Sometimes “I am not there anymore” does not necessarily mean he or she moves to a new location. He or she could work remotely at the same location for his / her new assignments, as modern technology enables communications with others through various means with little limitations. If we ponder it further we can find that being a Christian bears the same “I am not there anymore” concept. In a sense, when one becomes a Christian, he or she is still in this world. That means he or she is still working at the same location except he or she is working for God from now on, i.e. to witness Him. No wonder someone used to say, Christians are “in this world” but “NOT of this world”.

In fact, there is a true change of location for Christians too, spiritually. Apostle Paul indicated to us that “He (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 他救了我們脫離黑暗的權勢，把我們遷到他愛子的國裡；我們在愛子裡得蒙救贖，罪過得以赦免 (Colossians 1:13-14)。” From God’s point of view, we do have a change of position and a change of location at the same time. Sometimes we don’t realize this fact because we are still physically located in this world – not until the day of Christ’s second coming, we won’t experience it physically.

Oftentimes, most of us feel frustrated in this world – we need to keep hopping from job to job and from location to location. It is like the Israelites wander in the wilderness. But we would be in the worst situation if we were still physically situated in this world couldn’t leave when the judgment day comes. Being a Christian, the hope to be with the Lord sustains one’s life journey in this world, even at the worst condition. Boethius, a sixth-century philosopher and was imprisoned and eventually executed by King Theodoric the Great, once said, “Nothing is miserable but what is thought so, and contrariwise, every estate is happy if he that bears it be content. 無事可使人痛苦，除非自怨自艾；反之，若知足則處處是樂土。” His faith in Christ gives him a perspective that overcomes circumstances. The hope in Christ gives him contentment under the persecution.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, may the concept of “I am not there anymore” could give you a new thought of Christian’s life journey.

———————————————————————————————————-
Disclaimer: The sharing is pure from my personal view; therefore, please don’t take it to be absolute. Thanks.