S66P3 – The Christ-like mind: focus beyond the natural

Col. 3:2-4

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

He started his walk with Jesus later in life.  By that time, he was well on his way to reaching what were his life’s goals.  He had worked very hard in his education and his career, and he was focused on reaping the benefits of that work in this life.  Even after his coversion, this mentality continued.  Where he invested his time and energy did not change.  His focus remained on sowing into his work in this world to reap the reward he would gain in this world.  To focus his energy elsewhere would be to slow that progress, and that was not something he was willing to relinquish.  It was not until he reached financial freedom that he would be willing to slow his work, but he would never get there.

This scripture guides us in what we are to seek from life now that we are alive in Jesus Christ.  The Bible never tells us to be irresponsible or to not care for ourselves or our loved ones.  There is work we must do here to sustain these lives we have been given.  However, when it comes to that which we seek and that in which we invest our time and energy, we are to set our gaze to the things above.  To know whether we have done this we simply need ask ourselves what we are building.  If the answer to that question is something in the natural, something which will one day pass away and be no more, then we need to change our focus.  We are called to build something beyond the natural which will last long after this world is gone.

When we walk out this instruction, we must be sure to exercise discernment.  God might be calling you to accomplish something great in this world for his purposes, and you must be sure to recognize that distinction.  He is not telling us to have no impact on the world, to be unknown and unrecognized.  If recognition results from our seeking what He wants us to seek in the Spirit, that is not a problem.  The problem exists when our motivation and goal are to build in this world instead of building in God’s kingdom.  Our focus must be on sowing and reaping in that which is eternal.  Father, give us the wisdom to know when we are seeking the things of this world instead of those of the Spirit.