Since You Have Been Raised . . . .

Daily Devotions with Pastor Chuck

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Do your thoughts in the morning turn to the Lord? Do you begin with thanking Him for giving you the physical strength to get up and get going, no matter the time of day or night when you are rising up? I would pray we all have such an inclination, for that would be the proper response for the one who is in Christ . . . .

“If then 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.” (Colossians 3:1-3 – NASB)

This text from the apostle Paul is not a question, but a statement of fact directed to every true believer. This text could literally start, “Since then you have been raised up with Christ . . .” well, since you have, do this,

“keep seeking the things above”

. . . and,

“set your mind on the things above”

The verbs here are in the present tense, in the imperative mood, thus we understand them to be commands, commands to do something continuously. Literally the text would read out,

“Since you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking continually the things above . . . set your mind continually on the things above”

The morning and the afternoon and the evening, the entire day is that in which you and I have been granted “life” by our Father in heaven. And within this span of time He has given us He would have us not to be concerned with ourselves but to remember that we “have died” to self and that our “life is hidden with Christ in” Him. That said, it is the Father’s desire that we be concerned with “the things above.” He would have us to be, as someone has said, “heavenly minded.” Summation: What should matter to us most are the “the things above” not “the things that are on earth.”

What are “the things above?” Well they would be “the things” that matter to Christ. And what is it that matters to Him? One only need look into the Scripture and read for ourselves what “things” truly matter to Christ . . .

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 – NASB)
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32 – NASB)
“I have come . . . to do Thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7 – NASB)

There are many more statements from our Lord as to why He came into this world but at the heart of all these reasons is that He might “save that which was lost,” that He might “call . . . sinners to repentance,” that He might “do” God’s “will.” So, the great commission from above, that which you and I are to be seeking after, have our minds set on, that which should be our concern as it is His, our desire as it is His, within the time He grants us on this earth.

When you have “your mind set continually on the things above” you have “the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16) and you are one with Him, united with Him in intent and purpose.

All of us have daily things we do, but we gain from our text valuable insight as to what it is we are to be truly taken up with, truly concerned about, what we are to be continually “seeking,” continually having our “mind on . . .”

“the things above”

Have a good day brethren . . . and as you go about the day know that your marching orders are clear as to what you are to seek after, what you are to have your mind on.