Alright y’all, let’s keep this awesome journey going! Open your Bibles and read Colossians 3:1-4.
Our focus always seems to be on something, whether it’s our families, our social calendar, school, work, etc. Now, none of these are bad, it is good to diligently care for our families or work hard in our schooling or job. But are we also seeking God as well? Do we think about him daily? Do we give Him the attention and time He deserves? He should be what we are fixated on above all else. Paul encourages believers to seek the kingdom above all else. To fully understand these directions, we first need to understand what it means to seek the kingdom: then we will explore Paul’s words in exhorting us to seek the kingdom. First, it is important to note that the directive to seek the kingdom of God first came from Jesus. It is recorded in Mathhew Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), in this sermon, Jesus directs His listeners to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. In Colossians, we see Paul repeating Jesus’ encouragement by breaking down this directive in two ways. First, Paul encourages us to seek the things above. When we do this, we choose to pursue God and His kingdom. To set our minds on the things above involves an intentional orientation of our will. We orient our desires, thoughts, and affections towards God and how we can serve His kingdom. Second, Paul encourages us to set our minds on things above. When we keep our focus on this world, we become distracted, but when we set our minds above, we focus on what is eternal over temporal.
In Colossians, Paul gives two reasons why we should seek and set our minds on Him. First, is because we have been raised by Christ. Like we discussed, if we are in Christ, we have been brought death to life. Even though we physically reside here on earth, we spiritually live with Christ. As Christians, we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) and our identity is in Christ Jesus. The second reason we should seek and set our minds on Him is because our old selves (our sinful selves) have died, and we our lives are hidden with Christ. One day, we will experience the full reality of what it looks like to be a citizen of heaven when our time is up on this earth or when Christ returns. Because this glorification id=s a future event, for now, the full reality of our identity is hidden. We also know that with these verses, we belong to God and He keeps us safe in His hands. This shows us the security we have in God. Knowing, remembering, and resting in who we are in Jesus and our eternal future with Him encourages us to focus on His kingdom and to serve and please Him.
Again, this is a daily challenge. This world has plenty of temptations and we find ourselves getting caught up in these things or even the business of our daily lives. This is why it is so important to be in God’s Word daily. We fight these daily- why aren’t we also putting on our armor daily? When we spend time in His Word, it equips us not only against the enemy’s lies, but it also reminds us of who we are and we place our identities. This world has its distractions, but we can live focused on Jesus by seeking and setting our minds above. When we commit to living this way, we find our hearts, minds, and lives dedicated to Him.
Let’s discuss what we just read. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below, we can discuss them together!
- Read Galatians 2:20. How does this verse describe the change in our devotion when we have faith in Jesus?
- What keeps you from seeking first the kingdom of God?
- What does it look like for you to practically set your mind on the things above?
Today’s verse for Lent prayer is Matthew 1:20-21 and the prayer prompt is, “Thank the Lord for sending Jesus to save us from our sins and ask Him to help you marvel at His wonderous plan to bring Jesus to earth through a miraculous birth.”
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back, and I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father. Y’all have a wonderful night.
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