Seek Those Things Which Are Above...

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:1-2

The true direction of your life is not indicated verbally but by actions… The things which you desire display the focus and direction of your life… There are so many people who say that they are about certain things; however, when you observe their everyday affairs you are left with a different understanding… In reading today’s focus verse I am reminded of the hold saying talk is cheap; there are a lot of Christians that do the talking, but in the heat of the moment they are the same Christians which fold under the pressures of this world and what society says is success… There are a lot of pretenders and procrastinators in the body of believers and this is also why verse 1 starts off by using the word if… In other words you may say that you are of the body of Christ, but if your actions say differently than there is a disconnect somewhere… Paul uses the word “if” because the words which follow it serve as a filter to separate the real from the phony… When we read the word if we can then grasp the words that follow and apply them to our lives and ask the question as to whether we really are a child of God or not… The things which motivate you to act on this earth are the things which you desire to obtain and/or please… There are a lot of us which pledge our allegiance to Christ, but when are lives are examined under the proverbial microscope of life we find that there are a lot of other things which come before our Savior… We say that we love Christ; however, He doesn’t hold priority in our lives… We say that we love the Lord; however, prayer is an afterthought in our daily routine… We remember when to get up for work, we remember that our physical bodies needs nourishment, but someone has to remind us to pray about it or ask us if we have talked to the Lord about our problems… As a child of God this should not be, we must have a mindset where the cares of this world are taking a backseat to the matters of Christ… Our lives are so cluttered and bombarded with so much that we have not room for intimacy with Christ… This enemy has you right where he wants you if you find yourself forgetting to pray and spend time in devotion… The devil has a mighty grip on your life if you are focused on the daily task and the things of this world as oppose to what God can do and what He has already done in your life… The bible declares in Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God… Faith must be a part of every Christian’s life and it is shown when we live the verses recorded in this passage… We walk by faith when we seek things above and not the approval of our peers…  It is important that we understand that what we seek is what drives us and this is we are told throughout the bible that we must seek him while he may be found… Time is running out, tomorrow is never promised and the real desires of your heart are seen by God and displayed to men by what you obtain on this earth… Is your relationship growing in Christ or are you just trying to thicken your wallet? This is also why we are charged as Christians to seek those things which are above… Your attitude should reflect your Christianity… 

In a follow-up from yesterday’s food for thought, we see today Paul’s letter to the Church of Colosse and his focus again on the state of mind that a child of God should be in. He starts by saying that “if” you are risen with Christ, a conditional term that can only be validated from within; so many people claim to be a Christian, but their actions and the mindset speak differently than there tongue! To be in Christ is to live; therefore, your thoughts should reflect life, they should reflect joy, they should reflect hope…To be in Christ means that we look beyond the current situations, we are able to focus on the faith we have instead of the storms we are facing; to look beyond the realm of our possibilities and focus on the mighty hand of our Lord and Savior… In Christ you have been called to a higher standard, so don’t set your own ceiling in your ministry or in your home which will cause you to settle for less than what God has already ordained for your life… Some of us are dealing with hardships; some are dealing with mistakes and have become confined by our own limitations! Christ is sitting at the right hand of God making intercession on our behalf; therefore, you are no longer bound by your sin or captive by your mistakes if you are in Christ! A child of the most high understands that he/she isn’t perfect, a child of the most high acknowledges that there are areas in their lives that need to be healed, but most importantly a child of the most high recognizes that they have a (n) advocate in Christ Jesus that will and can deliver you from all harm. This world will have you to believe that you have made a bed and must lie in it, this world will have you to believe that you can’t change and be transformed, this world will make you question God, this world will make you lose hope, this world will cause division and manipulate you until you have become a cancer in your home and in the church! This is why Paul says set your affections on things above, not on the earth! We have to train our minds to look past our faults, train our minds to stop holding on to access baggage, train our minds that this world is not the end of my journey only the beginning… Christ is pleading on your behalf because he knows that we all have fallen short, he is talking to the father because he knows that you can due bigger and better things in this life! He has done His part, now you must refuse to be satisfied with what you have on this earth and focus your attention on the will that God has for your life!

BE BLESSED!!!