When we live on this earth, there are many things we need to do each day. But what is our interest? What do we focus on? What is our aim and destination? We read in Colossians 3:1-3, “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. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” We also read in Colossians 2:20,21, “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”” If you truly want to follow Jesus, you will always seek the things above and not the things of the world. And when you do that, your life will be a life of joy and peace.
This world is full of competition and we unknowingly may set ourselves to compete with the world and thereby set our goals to earthly things. That’s why Paul reminds us that we need to ‘set’ our minds on things above. In Mathew 6 we read that all other things will be added when we seek God’s kingdom first. When we follow the Lord with our whole heart and seek His kingdom first, we don’t need to worry about the other things. In Romans 14:17 we read, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” We are to seek for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear from the Lord. If we choose likewise we can listen to Jesus daily and have peace and joy.
In this world there is lust and confusion and we can easily get carried away from setting our minds on things above. If we feel the things of this world as valuable we will invest our time and energy for them. In Mathew 6:19-21 we read, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We naturally spend more time focusing on our investment. This is a way to test what we set as important. The things on this earth will get destroyed. We need to treasure for us the real riches. We need to do many things on this earth like our work and take care of our family, but we need to realize what is important and of value.
In Mathew 16 we read of the instance where Peter gets the revelations from God that Jesus is the Son of the living God. A few verses later we read that Jesus tells His disciples that He must undergo sufferings and will be crucified. And Peter doesn’t wish for Jesus to go this way. Jesus immediately rebukes Peter. Notice what Jesus says in verse 23, “You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s”. Jesus knew the will of God and wanted to do it always. And anything that was against God’s will was a stumbling block. In the church too, we may do many things, but if our interests are not the same as God’s, we will become a stumbling block to our brothers. If we submit to the Lord, He will give us revelation of our interests.
In Romans 8:6 we read, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,”. Those who are in the flesh can’t please God. If our mind is set on the flesh it will lead to death always. This is why God reminds us in love that we need to set our life on things above. This world is full of evil and evil desires. We need God’s help and the power of the Holy Spirit to say no to our desires and follow God’s will.
In 1 John 2:24 we read, “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.” In John 17 we read that knowing God is eternal life. In our daily life, knowing God more each day is eternal life. John had seen Jesus and touched and seen the life of Jesus. He knows what a blessed life it is to know Jesus. And so He proclaims that to us. In our daily walk of life, do we experience the Lord? If our interest is on things of this world, we can’t experience the Lord. Our joy will be complete when our interest is in God – that is a promise!
If we need to follow God’s will, we need to die daily to our self-will. We need to deny ourselves daily. May God help us to always set our mind on things above. God bless us all!
