Set Your Minds On Things Above

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:2-3If you are truly saved, then your life is no longer your own. You are called to operate in Christ. The only way to truly do this is by shifting your life's focus from your worldly motives to an eternal mindset. This means that you no longer pursue your own earthly wants and desires, but instead you focus on God's.I have found by focusing on the eternal, that the worldly desires that I once had are no longer as important to me. Instead, I have become hungry for the things that God wants for me. By shifting my wants and desires to His; I have become more fulfilled in life than I ever possibly could have by chasing my old ways. I chose Colossians 3:2-3 as the foundational scripture for this post because it really sums up the point I want to get across.Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.If you are no longer focused on things of this earth, then your worldly possessions will not hold weight in your heart. The bible talks about giving without expecting anything in return. (Luke 6:35) The book of Acts speaks of the early church selling all they had and giving to those in need. (Acts 2:45) Both of these examples may seem extreme; however, they really get the point across. The point is, if you are fully focused on eternity with God, these things would have no weight in your heart. Challenging yourself with these extremes is a great way to check where your heart is at. If God called you to give up certain things in your life, would you actually be able and willing to do it? If your focus is completely on things above, not on earthly things, your answer would imminently be yes.Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.When I began exploring the meaning behind this verse, I realized that it is referring to a mindset in which we live by. It means that whatever God calls us to do to further the Kingdom of God on this earth, we do it, regardless of how it effects our current way of life; because our way of life is no more. Our lives are hidden; each of us is a reflection of God’s will for our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."By no means am I perfect. Often I question whether I’d be able to answer yes to the question about giving everything up for Christ. I have not arrived at a place where I have fully surrendered my own ways. I still struggle with lettings go of things on this earth just as much as the next person does. However, every day I am getting a little bit closer. I am continuously growing. When my earthy desires and passions begin to overtake my focus on eternity, I just remind myself that life is temporary. Nothing that we have here on earth will go with us once we are in eternity with the Father.I encourage you to shift your mindset from the desires of this world to the desires that God has for you in Christ. Through this, you will discover the life He has for you.