I was recently asked if you can have a regular job and own a home (or rent) and still be a sojourner. Well yes of course but we have to understand what it means to be a sojourner.

I do not think you have to leave your job or home to be a sojourner, but I am not sure you can be attached to them either. I think it is partly about what kingdom you are building. Are am I building God’s kingdom or mine? Am I amassing wealth for my benefit or His? Am I desiring to see His name proclaimed or mine? It is like Steve Saint says in the Great Omission when he talks about not everyone is called to be a missionary, but everyone is called to the mission (my paraphrase). Peter writes to the diaspora or exiles who are strangers or sojourners in 1 Peter and Paul calls us ambassadors. If I can put them together we are called to be scattered ambassadors who represents Christ. When thought of in those terms we can easily work a job and own a home as long we remember where our allegiance is.

That being said some are called to go. If you are called to go then you need to go. I know that sounds simple but that is because it is. There is great joy found in following God. We read stories in the Bible like those of Abraham and think it would be easy to follow if we could hear God like Abraham did. The problem is Abraham went years not hearing from God. There are only a handful of times we actually read that God spoke to Abraham. Scripture records more silence from God to Abraham than communication. I think we have it easier because we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We can commune with the divine daily. Yes sometimes God is still silent but sometimes that is because you have not listened to the last thing He said.

There is a Rita Springer song called If you say Go and part of the lyrics say, “If You say go we will go If You say wait we will wait.” We have to get to the point where we are willing to lay down not just our lives but our wills to God.

As Christians, we are called to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests but the kingdom we belong to is invisible. It is real, and it is present, but it cannot be seen which is why geography, to a Christian, is more about direction than political allegiance. We have to come to the place where we are as willing to walk away from it all as we are to stay in it. The will is what is important and what God is after. Jesus prayed not my will by Yours be done. God wants us to turn our wills over to Him. We must be willing to go when He says God and stay when He says stay.

So yes, you can absolutely be a sojourner or scattered ambassador who represents Christ. But you can also go.