Verse of the Day Devotion: Colossians 3:2 

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:2         

Now that we are saved, our minds should be thinking on our new life, and not the life we have left behind.  We see what we should be focused on in the first verse in this chapter. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1.  We need to set aside our old self, our old nature.  Paul puts it this way.  “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:22-24.  If we are born again, then the old man was killed, crucified.  “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5-7. 

So, this begs the question.  If our old man with its old ways is dead, then why should we set our minds on the worldly ways of our old man?  The answer is easy, we should not.  Our minds should be focused on God; what He desires from us, what we can do for Him here.  We should direct our thoughts to Christ, where He dwells and His will for us.  We should not be focusing on the things of this world such as wealth, self-honor and pleasure.  The theologian Albert Barnes in his commentary on Colossians stated, “Our affections should not be fixed on houses and lands; on scenes of fashion and gaiety; on low and debasing enjoyments.” That man, the one who’s mind was fixed on earthly pleasures and ways has died. 

We, as Christians, should love the things of God, and detest the things of this world.  Now, I am not saying we should neglect our needs here, essentially food, clothing and shelter; or we should not enjoy some things here, such as a concert or a ball game.  It is that we should not make these things the center of our life.  These are not sinful activities, except if they take precedence over the things of God.   It is sin we should not think on.  “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”  Colossians 3:5.  We must see these things as dead and no longer enticing us.  We once focused on these things, but we should not now.  We are new creatures.  We think differently, we act differently.  We used to live to satisfy ourselves, now we must live to satisfy God, and in so doing, He will satisfy us.  This is setting our minds on the things above.  This is denying the things of this world.  And I have no doubt life will be so much better when we follow the words of this verse.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.