SCRIPTURE
"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)
OBSERVATION
Paul's warning to the Colossians was clear: "Keep seeking the things above;" don't give up, never stop pursuing the things of God. In other words, "Don't get distracted." It's a warning that was probably triggered by the same factors that affect us today – not just in the material things of the world, but also the internal spiritual distractions such as anger, envy, immoral thoughts and emotions. To keep ourselves from distractions, we must make an intentional choice daily in order to move ourselves into a Christ-like lifestyle.
His admonition assumes our natural default: that we're wired to follow our flesh to seek the immediate things of the world. It's a spirit and a flesh that must be conditioned and trained, disciplined and taught how to re-focus not on what we see around us, not to react to the immediate present, but to seek what is unseen, expecting the eternal. The greatest hurdle, it seems, is our natural desire for immediate gratification. Whether it has to do with finances, hunger, physical desires, goals or agendas, our inclination craves satisfaction NOW. But, while the immediate experience may satisfy us, in the long run we suffer and lose. It's probably the primary reason underlying today's high rate of divorce, foreclosures and bankruptcies. We see it and we want it NOW. But, just as Paul admonished the Colossians, so must we discipline ourselves against the immediate, but to fix our eyes on the things above.
APPLICATION
I need to guard my heart and my mind against distractions. I'm no different from others where I allow the need for immediate gratification to shift my focus away from the things that God desires for my family, for my ministry. Whether it has to do with my family or ministry, I must take the words of Paul to heart. Like others, I have a tendency to judge myself, and my success, based upon what I see and achieve in the physical realm. In many respects, I can't help it; that's what I've been taught, that "success" is measured by what is produced, by what can be seen on earth. While that might be true in the world's eyes, it's not so with the Lord. There are areas of my life that I must commit to and pursue with a passion, with my family, with my ministry, even if the results aren't immediately visible. I cannot allow myself to be defeated by false expectations that are set on worldly standards. But, if I trust and seek to obediently follow what the Lord has asked of me and re-focus my sights daily, the eternal results will follow.
PRAYER
Lord, keep my eyes set on You. You lead, I will follow.
