Set your mind on things above... Colossians 3:2

For years I have read Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." and thought very little of its application to real life. Well, I am beginning to see something significant about it. Paul had this incredible understanding wherein all that mattered in life were the "things above"! So, then the next logical question is, What constitutes 'things above'?

Probably safe to say that it starts with God himself! He is the primary and supreme focus. So without going into too much detail about why God should be our primary focus, let me touch on a less obvious "things above" category.

It's easy to just throw out things that we think are "things above", but I wonder if these things are elements of God's creation (or institution) that are here on earth, but are eternal in their future existence! We all know that marriage between a man and a woman is not eternal.  Yet the Church is eternal by virtue of the marriage supper of the Lamb! God's Word is eternal! Jesus, The Word, is eternal! 

So, if you consider just these element: God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), His Word, The Church (which is essentially any person chosen by God unto salvation), we narrow down some KEY elements representing "things above" that we experience while on earth. In other words, we are not talking about angels or streets of Gold that are invisible to us or purely futuristic...OK, we cannot physically see God, but we can experience His work and presence in our lives, even daily!

The reason I think I mention these elements is to make Colossians 3:2 have more practical application. If you are anything like me, you can read the same verse for years and certain simple truths never pop out. So, what I hear Paul saying is that if we want victory as Christians, we have to invest our resources in eternal things!! If we were created eternal beings, then why would we invest so much of our time, money and energy in the things of this "blink of an eye" world...and then wonder why we struggle so much? Struggles in sin, selfishness, idolatry, busy-ness.

Therefore, my encouragement to you is to invest your life in the things that focus you on eternity and become involved in eternal ventures of God's creation and plan! This gives new emphasis on The Church, new emphasis on others, new emphasis on Missions and Evangelism, and the list goes on! 

It also diminishes the value of temporal, earthly pursuits that bind us to the desires of the flesh. Let's face it, the lure of the world, spiritual warfare and our continual hunger to satisfy our flesh would have so much less power if we became...get this...too involved and desirous to do the things of God! Can you imagine being able to say, "Sorry satan, I have no time to give you today. Still preparing for tonight's Bible study!" or "Sorry TV show, I would love to spend my entire evening dumbing myself down, but I have someone in need I will be sharing life with!"

Aim towards a life with eternal purpose!