Do you know the Bible refers to believers as resident aliens? We often overlook this aspect of our identity which implies this earth is not our home and we don’t belong here. 

Why is it important for us to understand and live out our immigrant identity?

In my award-winning book, Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth , I draw from my own experience as an immigrant from India and I examine the lives of biblical immigrants to shed light on how to find purpose and joy as foreigners on earth and citizens of heaven. 

In celebration of the one year anniversary of Far from Home, I bring you a message that I hope will transform the way you see yourself and your role not only in the body of believers but also in God’s grand plan for the world.

In this solo episode, I talk about my struggles as a new immigrant in the United States when I wrestled with questions about identity and belonging and experienced loneliness, homesickness, and a lack of joy and purpose. But God used my struggles to draw me closer to Himself. He revealed to me that I was an immigrant on earth and that it was OK to not find belonging here. My craving for rootedness and home was a shadow of my longing for my permanent home in heaven.

As my understanding of my immigrant identity deepened, my perspective on my circumstances changed. God had a plan for my short, temporary journey on earth and I could find satisfaction, joy, and meaning by investing my time and energy chasing after His plan rather than earthly pleasures.

Embracing our immigrant identity can transform our relationship with God, motivating us to live intentionally while keeping our eyes fixed on things above. Things that matter. Even in the midst of trials and transitions, we can find hope and meaning when we live out our identity as citizens of heaven.

I hope this episode encourages you to stay focused on your God-given mission and instills in you a desire for intimacy with God.

If you’d like to dig deeper into the truth about your immigrant identity, you can buy a copy of Far from Home from your favorite online retailer. Click here to buy from Amazon. Click here to buy from my publisher, End Game Press. If you want a signed copy, please fill out the form below.

An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, Mabel navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. An award-winning writer, Mabel’s articles have appeared in Upper Room, CBN.com, LeadingHearts.com, and (in)courage.me. Her writings explore the intersection between faith, culture, and identity. She has been a contributor to Guideposts’ All God’s Creatures: Daily Devotions for Animal Lovers since 2022. Mabel is currently pursuing M.A. in Theological Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She loves gazing at the full moon and napping on a sandy beach, whenever she can. Mabel enjoys reading creative nonfiction, traveling, and dancing. She lives in Silicon Valley with her husband, eleven-year-old son, and a Maltese.

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Download the tip sheet, Love Your Immigrant Neighbor : 5 Action Steps, here.