Colossians 3:2-3 NIV
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
On the morning that I read this passage, throughout the day the Spirit kept asking me, what does it means to set my “mind on things above, not earthly things?” As I tried to process what it meant when I proclaimed to have died and raised to a new life in Christ and I am hidden with Christ in God, I became overwhelmed. During my evening prayer walk, I prayed the same prayer repeatedly asking God to help me learn how to set my mind on things above not earthly things and teaching me how to live a life hidden in him. Since we have a new life and we are hidden in Christ, why do I/we often let earthly things affect our walk in Christ as a yoyo? This question led me to another question, if I/we believe that Christ is seated somewhere that is worth fighting for, why do some of us allow trials and tribulations to dictate our mood and decision to trust God? If I/we believe Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us, why do I/we let earthly things in this world steal our joy, peace, character, values, integrity and so on? Even worst, why do we easily fall for Satan’s scheme that he can give us “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor to make us happy? “All this I will give you” he said, “if you bow down and worship me” (Mathew 4:8-9). Satan is continuing to use the same manipulative methods he attempted to lure Jesus against God’s will to draw mankind as his pawn to hurt God. Jesus warns us that wickedness will increase, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:12-14).
Preventing our soul from disconnecting with God, we must recognize we are living in a two-dimensional world, the physical and the spiritual world. That is why Jesus reminds us of where our treasure is that is where our heart will be (Matthew 6:21). The question we should ask ourselves is where are we hidden? Jesus says there will be an end. Let us fight to choose God as our hiding place by refuting the things of this world so that our love for God will not grow cold and we can withstand until the end of time. Satan might make you believe that the job, money, fame, high places, multiple accolades, people, or any materialistic things of this world is worth your soul. In contrast, Jesus is warning us that those earthly things will all be destroyed at the end of your journey because you brought nothing into this world and can’t take any of them with you at the end of your earthly journey (1Timothy 6:6-8). Let us not bow down to Satan’s schemes which are temporary but let us hold to God’s eternal salvation. “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you” (1John 2:15). Let us individually examine our lives, to determine if we are striving to live the new life in Christ as foreigners in this world. Or are we adapting the lukewarm Christian life culture that the church in Laodicea lived by (Revelation 3:14-22)? Jesus says we can’t have it both ways! It’s either we love the world, or we love God because if we love the world, we are God’s enemy (James 4:4). My prayer for each of us who are reading this devotion is to understand when you are hidden in Christ, and you no longer live for your earthly desires. You are one with Christ in all that you do, say or engage in, just as Jesus was with the Father as he prayed in John chapter 17:20-26.
