Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2 CSB
What do you spend your time thinking about? Your answer is probably a long list of hopes and dreams, fleeting worries and deep concerns, hard and holy and mundane things.
Maybe today you’re thinking about how challenging parenting is or how desperate you are for a different career. Maybe your mind is spiraling with anxiety or you just feel numb with depression. Perhaps you’re focused on your new year goals, hoping that your hard work and planning will pay off in a particular way. Perhaps you can’t think of anything else but your physical pain.
Whatever is going through your mind today, Scripture calls us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.
This begs the question: What is above?
Heaven.
God’s full presence.
His power.
His throne room where He hears our prayers.
The Father’s house with many rooms, which He is preparing for us right now.
A place of healing.
A place without tears.
A place of wonder and worship.
Forever belonging.
Peace.
Rest.
Perfect love.
Take a deep breath and read that list again. What would you add?
We don’t even need to answer the second question, “What are earthly things?”. We are keenly aware of our troubles and sorrow, the brokenness that surrounds us and wreaks havoc within us. God isn’t calling us to ignore these things or pretend they aren’t real or don’t have an immediate impact on our lives.
Rather, He is inviting us to set our minds — fix our thoughts, determine our focus — on Him, despite what’s happening here on earth. Because He is where our hope and joy live.
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Amen! to that!!!!
Great message for these dark days!
In Courage,
It is so easy to dwell on or worry about “stuff” down here. Life gets hard & things happen. But God is always there waiting for you to come to Him with those cares. Take time daily to think about what Jesus did for you on the cross. Remind yourself that you have a home in Heaven. You are dearly loved & an heir to the throne. Dwell on those for a minute or so each day & it may change your perspective.
Blessings 🙂
Amen \0/
The enemy loves to make us worry and live in fear and anxiety about all that is going on around us. But keeping our thoughts and minds on God, thinking of all His love, faithfulness, mercy, grace, and His wonderful promises, will most certainly brighten and lighten our day! God’s perfect love will cast out our fear…leaving us to spend our time in peace, and joy, rejoicing and praising!! It has only taken me all the 68 years of my life to realize this!! But praise God, He has blessed me to know it now!!
My dad is a new resident of heaven so I think of him with Jesus and look forward to the promise that I will be there someday. I so look forward to hearing the words, “well done thou good and faithful servant.”
This is excellent and so very timely as I try to encourage others to look up rather than at all they are struggling with
This us perfect and I have shared it already.
God bless you.
In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus faced plenty of adversity, but He chose to be an overcomer. He is calling on us to overcome adversity too. With His Strength, you can do it! “Let you Light Shine” (Matthew 5:16)