Colossians 3:1-3 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
The Christian life is a life of tension between heaven and earth. There is the tug of heaven. There is the desire to do right and good and live pleasingly to the Heavenly Father. Then there is the tug of earth; the pull of spiritual gravity aided by our sinful nature. Paul lists some of the “sn” (sinful nature) culprits in verses 5 through 9: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying. He says in verse 8, “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these…” (NIV) “Rid” is a great word here. “Get rid of it,” we say of those things that need to be discarded. How do we do that?
There must be an intentional focus on spiritual things. If we simply strive to rid ourselves of the negative but we don’t have a replacement, we will lapse back into the same behavior. Today’s devotion contains some key principles to maintain a life beyond the trap of the “sn.” The resurrection of Christ opposes the tug of the earth. Paul says that in position we have been raised with Christ. Therefore, our hearts and our minds must target things above. “Seek those things which are above,” and “Set your mind on things which are above,” must be the daily focus of believers. That is something that must come from inside of you because there is nothing in this earth that will be pointing you toward heaven. Everything is geared toward the “sn” and earthly things. Your mind and your heart must be captured by God and must look toward him every day. How do we do that? Through prayer and through what you are doing right now…you are paying attention to your spiritual life and feeding it. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
Paul gives us seven “garments” to wear in verses 12 through 14 in today’s reading. Here they are: 1) compassion; 2) kindness; 3) humility; 4) gentleness; 5) patience; 6) forgiveness; and 7) love. Wear these and you will be setting your heart and mind on things above.