#DailyDevotion Keep You Mind On Things Above To Avoid Anxiety & Sin
Colossians 3:1–7 Now if you were raised with Christ, be eager for the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right of God. 2 Keep your mind on things above, not on earthly things. 3 You see, you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, your Life, appears, then you, too, will appear with Him in glory. 5 Kill, then, what is earthly in you: sexual sin, uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and greed, which is idol worship; 6 these are bringing down God’s anger.7 Once you also practiced them when you lived in them
When are we raised with Christ? Is there an objective time, act or rite that God performs that I can latch onto? There is, it is baptism. Paul tells us exactly this in Romans 6:3ff. We were raised to newness of life there. There we have been raise with Jesus from the dead to newness of life. And there is another being raised with Christ. Paul tells us in the sister letter to this one, having been made one with Christ in baptism we have been seated with him in the heavenly places, i.e., the right hand of God where he is now reigning.
Paul here is giving us place to put our minds to keep us from getting anxious. If we focus on the world and all it has to give or take away, we will not have a moment’s peace. Isn’t that what the serpent did to Eve, get her mind off of heavenly things and put them on earthly things and what we think we don’t have? It is the devil’s trick to keep our minds on earthly things, romance, wealth, esteem of the world, worldly security, happiness, power and the like. Your heart will never be at rest as long as you focus on attaining these transitory, worldly things.
Instead, be eager for the things that are above and keep your mind on them. In baptism you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Having died, you are no longer citizens of this world though you should be good citizens wherever you live. What things above should we keep our minds on? The resurrection to eternal life is a good start. The world we live in is transitory and so is our life in it. We need not worry this is the only life we have. We have another being kept safe for us in heaven. That life is eternal. A new resurrected body like Christ Jesus’ resurrected body we are to inherit. It will be an immortal, imperishable, glorious body like Jesus’ which will never get sick and die. Our reunion with all our loved ones who fell asleep in the faith is waiting for us. The LORD will give us a new world, his kingdom, where there is no more politics, corruption, war, disease, crop failure or natural disasters which bring us harm.
If we keep our minds on such things then we will be able to 5“kill, then, what is earthly in you: sexual sin, uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and greed, which is idol worship.” Such things are the result of the sin of Adam who did not trust the LORD was taking care of him and his wife. These are things those who are not raised with Christ think about and contemplate. Fulfilling them is all they have in this world. They do not have the promise of eternal life in the world to come, i.e., they do not believe or trust in receiving from God in Christ Jesus. So live your life as if you believe you are immortal and will have all eternity with God who will give you your hearts desire.
Heavenly Father, may your Holy Spirit ever quicken our minds so we may think on the heavenly things you have in store for at Christ’ revelation and kill our sinful desires. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.