How to Be a Mature Citizen

Adapted from: How to Be a Mature Citizen by Sam Holm

Ever feel like you're searching for hope in all the wrong places? Maybe you scroll through news feeds, check your investment portfolio, or wait for the next political shift, wondering if this will finally bring peace. You're not alone—but what if the secret to lasting hope isn't found where we're looking?

In 1814, Francis Scott Key spent a terrifying night watching British bombs rain down on Baltimore. As dawn broke, he strained to see through the smoke, desperate for a sign that his country had survived. When he spotted the American flag still flying over the fort, hope flooded his heart—and he penned the words that became our national anthem. Key looked to that flag for assurance, but there's a greater source of hope available to all of us.

Three Questions This Message Answers

1. Where should I look for lasting hope?
Not in politics, the economy, or circumstances—but in a relationship with Jesus Christ and in anticipating His return.

2. How do I move forward when my past holds me back?
By choosing to focus on growth rather than guilt or glory, pressing toward knowing Jesus more deeply each day.

3. Who should I be following (and who should be following me)?
Surround yourself with people genuinely pursuing Jesus, and become someone worth following as you live out your faith authentically.

Our True Citizenship

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi—a Roman colony bursting with patriotic pride—and dropped a revolutionary truth: "Our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). These believers loved Rome, but Paul reminded them of a higher identity. He wasn't dismissing their earthly citizenship; he was elevating their eternal one. When we anchor our hope in something beyond our immediate circumstances, we become the kind of people who actually transform our communities.

Paul outlines three directions people who are spiritually maturing look for hope—and they'll challenge where you've been searching.

Look Ahead: Stop Living in Yesterday

Paul confesses he's not perfect, but he's done dwelling on yesterday. "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal" (Philippians 3:13-14). Are you stuck replaying past victories or nursing old wounds? Some of us live paralyzed by guilt over our mistakes; others are obsessed with glory days. Paul says: let it go. Your hope isn't in who you were—it's in who you're becoming. Look ahead to growing and learning more tomorrow than you did today.

Look Around: Follow the Right Examples

"Join in imitating me," Paul boldly declares (Philippians 3:17). He's not claiming perfection—he's saying, "Watch people who are genuinely following Jesus, and walk alongside them." Who are you following? If your feed is full of influencers whose priorities are entirely focused on temporary things, you're drinking from the wrong well.

Paul warns with tears about those walking as "enemies of the cross"—people whose appetites drive their decisions, who take pride in things that should bring shame, whose minds are "set on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19). It's not about judging them; it's about recognizing that following the wrong examples leads you in the wrong direction.

But here's the flip side: Who's following you? Are you living in a way that others could learn from your example? The hope of our communities isn't found just in government—it's in everyday people who live out their values and invite others into meaningful growth.

Look Up: Something Better Is Coming

Paul's ultimate hope? "We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). For those who trust in Jesus, there's a future that's guaranteed—one day, He'll return and make all things new. So here's the question: What are you really waiting for? Your next promotion? A bigger house? Or something that actually lasts forever?

When your hope is anchored in something beyond this temporary world, you live differently today. You love more freely, forgive more quickly, and invest in what truly matters.

Take the Next Step

This week, focus on one area:  
- Ahead: Let go of past guilt or past glory and focus on personal growth.  
- Around: Find one person living wisely and learn from them—or become someone worth learning from.  
- Up: Live with the bigger picture in mind. What would change if you truly believed there's more to life than what you can see?

If you're exploring faith for the first time, you don't need to have everything figured out. Jesus simply invites you to turn toward Him, trust what He's done for you, and start following. That's where real, lasting hope begins.