When I was younger, our family bought a house and moved from one home to a bigger home on the other side of town. It was difficult at first to remember how to get there. Once I finally learned the route to our new home, I would still drive back to my old home, out of habit, and without thinking because that route was ingrained in my routine.
Sometimes in following Jesus, we default to our old ways of living. Though God has given us a new path, we can fall back into reducing our relationship with God as a list of do’s and don’ts, or about what a Christian is ‘suppose to do’. Other times we drift away from a holy life and look to the world’s culture through online articles, social media, or TV on how to live.
Paul in Colossian 3 reminds us to look towards “things above” for guidance. This language “things above” echo’s King Solomon's words, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc 1:9). Perhaps nothing new is under on Sun, however, what about above the Sun? To look “above” as Paul reveals is to look to Jesus, King over all the universe.
Part of the Christian walk is to retrain our minds and hearts to a new way of thinking and believing. Letting go of the old ‘route’ of our former lives allows us to look to the way of Jesus and his perspective on life. Putting to death whatever is earthly –impurity, lust, sexual immorality, evil desires—and embracing God’s way –compassion, kindness, love—involves becoming aware of what we do and believe about ourselves. Paul’s encouragement for them and us today is to give a wakeup call, almost to shake up, for believers to remember that we are commissioned to bring heaven to earth and not the other way around.
1. How have you been challenged recently to set your “hearts” and “minds” on things above? 2. In what ways can we drift away from living God’s way? 3. Ready Colossians 3:12-14. Pick ONE thing you want to embrace this week.
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