John Piper in his sermon on “The war against the soul and God’s glory” says:
"We must cultivate the mindset of exiles. What this does mainly is sober us up and wake us up so that we don't drift with the world and take for granted that the way the world thinks and acts is the best way. We don't assume that what is on TV is helpful to the soul; we don't assume that the priorities of advertisers are helpful to the soul; we don't assume that the strategies and values of business and industry are helpful to the soul. We don't assume that any of this glorifies God. We stop and we think and we consult the Wisdom of our own country, heaven, and we don't assume that the conventional wisdom of this age is God's wisdom. We get our bearings from God in his Word.
When you see yourself as an alien and an exile with your citizenship in heaven, and God as your only Sovereign, you stop drifting with the current of the day. You ponder what is good for the soul and what honors God in everything: food, cars, videos, bathing suits, birth control, driving speeds, bed times, financial savings, education for the children, unreached peoples, famine, refugee camps, sports, death, and everything else. Aliens get their cue from God and not the world."
Wow....to truly live with God as my only Sovereign and not be influenced by the world around me is a constant desire, but work in progress. As my life involves international travel between two earthly homes, I so appreciate being reminded of where my citizenship truly lies, Heaven, and can therefore do a reality check for how I am living my life and to what I give importance. What a freedom we can have when we submit to God and His sovereignty and kingship and lay aside all other things that pull our attention. My constant prayer and heart's desire is to grow to be more like that...