I recently heard a leader of a organization that specializes in outreach to the homeless say that in their 20+ years of working with homeless people, most of the long-time homeless people are homeless by choice.
WOW! I couldn’t believe it when I heard that. I can’t even imagine choosing to be homeless.
The fact is: there are many people that have fallen into legitimate and terrible circumstances in their lives. These circumstances leave these people with the loss of their homes, jobs, or even family. It’s really sad.
CREATED TO BELONG
There are multiple tens of thousands of homeless people in America and many more around the world. Often times you might find yourself trying to imagine what their story is—what lead them to their current state.
Regardless of their story, however, I don’t believe God’s destiny for anyone is for people to be homeless. God designed everything decently and in order.
We were created to have a home, to belong, to create, produce, and reap the benefits of our labor.
That is why our hearts are often broken when we see a homeless person. Deep down in our heart we know it is not right. It’s not normal.
PLACE OF LOVE, GROWTH, AND SAFETY
Home was designed to be a place where you can go to and feel loved. Home should be peaceful, restful — a place to unwind and relax after a day’s work.
You should always be able to grow and develop at home. How many people do you know who learned to walk in a home? How many people learned to talk in a home? Or learn colors, shapes, names, cook, clean, draw, build, or play? Most of these very foundational stages of growth take place in a home and are reinforced in other settings.
People often say, “There’s no place like home” or “Home sweet home.”
Home should be a place of refuge, peace, and safety.
With this knowledge you have to ask yourself how could anyone choose on purpose to pass a real home life up?
Sound crazy?
Not only do people do it in their personal lives, they do it in their spiritual lives as well.
VAGABOND CHRISTIANITY
Many Christians today choose to be homeless. In other words, they never really set down roots in a local church. They hop around from one church to another.
God never planned for them to live like that. God created you for a purpose and he created a local church (a specific one that YOU are called to be in) with a pastor that is called to lead you in your walk with God.
Thousands of Christians live spiritual nomad lifestyles. They’re homeless by choice.
Unfortunately they never grow and develop either.
They think they blend in with everyone else but you can always spot a homeless person out of a crowd, can’t you?
I don’t mean to be mean, but most homeless people don’t shower often. Over time they begin to smell, and they can get used to their own smell not realizing that those around them notice what they no long notice.
You cannot rest well when you are out in the open, ready for the wind and rain, the elements of life beating you every which way. Why? You aren’t in the security and peace of a home. It has a way of aging you. It is visible.
When you rarely eat—and what you do eat is someone else’s leftovers or old scraps—your health will deteriorate. Your poor health becomes visible to others around you.
PLEASE COME HOME
None of what I’ve said so far is meant to be cruel or mocking to anybody. I only want to make a point with something I believe we can all relate to on some level.
It is vital that you stay connected to a church “home.”
Not every home is your home.
But you have to start looking for and being led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to where you are supposed to lay roots.
If you don’t have a church home where you can be loved and love, grow and develop, and experience safety during the storms of life, then you need one immediately. ASAP. Right now.
For Bible verses about the importance of church attendance, see these below:
If you find that you are a vagabond or homeless Christian, determine today to get plugged into a good church that will teach you God’s Word and how to grow in the things of God.
You’ll be glad you did!
—Jason A. Gatlin