Eternal Beings In A Temporary Dwelling Place


It’s hard to get comfortable camping. It’s fun, can be relaxing, and makes for a good vacation. Yet, comfort usually isn’t too associated with it. The ground is too bumpy, air mattresses don’t compare to your bed at home, and you’re in a tent. Tents don’t have heat, or air conditioning, or running water, or electricity, or hardly any of the comforts of home.

When my sons were young we would camp out in the yard sometimes. I would run extension cords to the tent so we could watch movies and play video games. We brought snacks and board games to it. We piled up blankets to make laying on the ground feel better. It still wasn’t the house though. It was fun, but it wasn’t comfortable. That was ok though, because it was temporary.

The Bible compares life on earth to camping.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” II Corinthians 5:1

Life on earth is temporary. Our body is a tent. We are all simply passing through. We tend to treat it like its forever though. 

Jesus says, “store up treasures in heaven,” and we reply, “that’s ok, I’ll store up treasure on earth.” Jesus says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” II Corinthians 4:16. Then we look in the mirror and feel bad. We don’t want to be told we are being renewed inwardly. We want our tent to stay young and attractive. Jesus says, “I have a glorified body for you,” and like a child we reply, “No, I want this one.” Jesus says, “I’m going to prepare a place for you,” and we respond, “That’s ok, Jesus, we like this place.”

So like my boys and I we work so hard to make life in the tent comfortable and enjoyable. We focus our energy on what’s temporary. But here’s the deal. You can try as hard as you can, and you can never get completely comfortable in the tent. It will never be like home.

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Hebrews 13:14

One night we were in the tent in our yard, and it was cold. Then it started raining, and water started getting in. We were trying to make the bast of it, but then my son Zachary said, “I’m going inside.” The house was only 10 feet away from us, and he got up and went to sleep in his own warm, dry, comfortable bed. He couldn’t get comfortable on the tent.

And neither will you.

This doesn’t mean life on earth isn’t important. It surely is. We will all stand before our Father one day and give an account for how we lived this life. How we are rewarded in eternity is directly connected to how we handled life in the tent. It’s just that we must remember we aren’t home yet.

Nothing on earth is going to make you fully comfortable on earth. That car? It won’t do it. A new home? Nope. Nice outfits of clothing? Nuh-uh. You’re still in the tent. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of those things. Let’s just keep them in perspective.

One day we will arrive at our eternal home. We’ll walk in like my son that night. We’ll be glad to be out of the tent. Let’s live with an eternal perspective. Because eternal beings is what we are.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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