Colossians 3:1 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. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
I love having what I call a “God moment” – when the manifest presence of God is so heavy around me, that it’s palpable. This happens for me when I’m in the woods – which to me is like a little piece of heaven on earth. Getting away from the noise of life and quieting my spirit – I can hear God speak.
So needless to say, I’m very much looking forward to this coming weekend! I’m going backpacking and camping, in the mountains with a group of Christian woman!! As I’ve prepared for the trip, my mind has been swirling for days with thoughts of heaven and what it will be like. That’s what a walk in the woods does for me. I love it! I can’t help but let my mind wander back to Genesis and how truly incredible it must have been for the original parents, Adam and Eve, to have walked in the Garden, with the person of God. But we must remember - we too get to walk with Him – daily! If He lives in you, you can walk and talk with Him every day, all day long!
As I was reading through Colossians, I was reminded how in the days of my youth and rebellion against God, I would often look at someone who was walking close with God and comment that “They’re too heavenly minded to be any earthly good”. Even after I surrendered my life again to God, I found myself concerned that I too would fall into this perceived trap.
That phrase was coined by Sir Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. While I know little of him beyond what I found on Wikipedia, he clearly seemed to have a disdain for Christian ministry, and is not one by whom we should readily set our spiritual compass. But sadly, I’ve heard his quote spoken from pulpits on different occasions. I had even read it in Christian articles over the years. This is one of the many reasons the Bible cautions us to test the spirits on things we hear or are taught – not everything taught from a pulpit or found in a Christian article, is truth.
After digging into the Word of God myself, I quickly learned that this was a fallacy. Granted there are some individuals who are living what I call “half-truths” – they’ve adopted part of God’s instructions in their life, while ignoring others. While they appear heavenly minded, they miss clear truths of how we are to live and function as followers of Christ – so their lives look contradictory. There’s a gap between what they say and what they do. For example, if I, who was the soul provider for my children, had spent my time and effort, busying myself in God’s work, but failed to provide for the needs of my family, then I clearly would have missed the mark (read 1 Tim 5:8). This would be an imbalanced life and that’s not a life God endorses.
In Colossians, scripture tells the believer to “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth”. I appreciate the New Living Translation version of this verse that reads “set your sights on the REALITIES of Heaven”. I like that phrase – realities of Heaven. All throughout scripture we find that what we see on Earth is just a SHADOW of what is already in Heaven. You see, Heaven was the original, and earth is the copy. So, that tells us that setting our minds on the things of Heaven is even more REAL than what we see here on Earth. Colossians 3:3 teaches that our “real” life is hidden with Christ in God. So, anything or any life not hidden in Christ is not real. Think about that. If you look around, someday, everything you see, will fade away. POOF! – it will all be gone. So, it begs the question, why do we put so much emphasis on the temporal?
Not only does the book of Colossians give instruction about setting our thoughts on heaven, but it also gives instruction about living our daily temporal life, in a heavenly way.
Heavenly Conduct
Our earthly conduct should be, a reflection of things above. Colossians 3:5-9 tells us to PUT OFF (that’s an action verb – an action we need to take) the sinful behaviors that lurk within our flesh: sexual immorality, lust, evil desires, greed, idolatry, anger, malicious behavior, slander, dirty language, lying and all wicked deeds. Pretty, straight forward, isn’t it? But it’s sad, how many well-meaning believers, get caught up in these fleshly “feelings” and instead of pressing in and allowing the Holy Spirit to weed the garden of their flesh & soul, they instead shrink back, and their walk is powerless. Christ came to cleanse us – to turn us inside out and upside down. He will do it – if we allow Him. He promises a power-filled life if we acquiesce.
Heavenly Character
Our earthly character should be, a reflection of things above. Colossians 3:10-17 tells us that Christ is all that matters. And when He truly is the most important thing in our life, it will be reflected in our daily life. We are to be holy people, clothed in tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiving, peaceful, harmonious, & thankful. Christ’s message will fill our lives and we will be able to share His wisdom (instead of our own). We are to be His representatives.
Heavenly Relationships
Our earthly relationships should be, a reflection of things above. Colossians 3:18-21 outlines the principals that we are to build our closest relationships upon. Wives submit – husbands love – children obey – fathers do not provoke your children to anger or discourage them from the faith. When Christ truly is the center of each of these relationships, we learn to submit, love, obey and nurture, just as our Father in Heaven expects us to. The closer we get to God and the more we empty ourselves of our own desires, and Christ fills us with His Spirit, then submission, love and obedience become like “first” (not second) nature to us. In the flesh, these things can feel painful – but in Christ, they are freedom.
Heavenly Calling
Our earthly callings should be, a reflection of things above. Colossians 3:22 thru 4:1 encourages us to not be man-pleasers, but to work as though we answer to God first, and then man. It’s a powerful truth to understand that God is interested in and involves Himself in our day to day vocation – if we let Him. We can easily block Him from working miracles by acting out in the flesh and by giving in to our human desires instead of trusting that He’s working behind the scenes. The scripture says that God can turn the hearts of the kings to His will – meaning that God can move on the heart of that difficult boss or co-worker and He can move in that difficult situation in the workplace or ministry. I’ve witnessed this myself – on many occasions! God will bring favor (often in the form of peace) upon you, when you’re obedient to His Word.
Heavenly Witness
Our earthly witness should be, a reflection of things above. Colossians 4:2-6 instructs us to be alert, to have a thankful heart, to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to pray for opportunities to share Christ’s message – clearly - with the unsaved. We are to live wisely and make the most of every opportunity. One of the most important admonitions is to guard our conversation and to respond with Godly thought behind our words. Too often we hear Christians offering counsel to others from their opinion instead of what the Word says. Too often we adopt mantras from the world and pass them off as gospel, when in reality, there’s no hint of God’s Word in it. We are to be cautious and give Godly – scripture based – counsel, every time.
Heavenly Ministry
Our earthly service for Christ and His Kingdom should be, a reflection of things above. Colossians 4:7-18 tells us that we are to be faithful helpers. When we make a commitment to serve, we must be faithful to that commitment and not abandon or treat it with a slothful attitude. The scripture also instructs us to encourage and comfort our fellow, brothers and sisters in Christ. Here I would caution that there is a difference between comforting and pacifying, each other. Speak God’s truth with love into every situation, but don’t pacify a brother or sister who may be enveloped in self-pity or unforgiveness. We should pray for spiritual discernment to know the difference.
We are to pray for each other – that God will make each of us strong and perfect and FULLY confident that we are following the whole will of God. And finally, we are to be SURE to carry out the ministry that God has given us. Too often believers start up a ministry they’re convinced God led them to, but then when attacked by the enemy or if it ends up not satisfying their fleshly lusts for attention, they abandon it. Check your motives!
Heavenly Balance!
Our earthly life should be, a reflection of things above. Living by God’s Word brings peace and balance into our lives – it’s that contentment that Paul talks about. It’s sometimes hard to imagine in our flesh, that we can experience heaven amidst the trials of this life. But the scripture tells us we can. We just need to believe it, put into practice what God’s Word reveals and learn to rest in God’s keeping power within us!
May we all allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, help us to be a vision of Heaven before those who don’t know Him.
Inspirational Quotes
“Just as all things upon earth represent and image forth all the realities of another world, so the Bible is one mighty representative of the whole spiritual life of humanity.” ~ Helen Keller
“I would not give one moment of heaven for all the joy and riches of the world, even if it lasted for thousands and thousands of years.” ~ Martin Luther
“Those who go to Heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way.” ~ John R. Rice
Verses to Ponder
1 Timothy 5:8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Hebrews 8:5 tells us, "They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: 'Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.'
Colossians 2:17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Prov 21:2 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases.
Romans 12:1-2 – "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
1 Peter 1:13-16 – "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
Romans 6:1-4 – "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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