Set Your Mind on Things Above - Colossians 3:1-17
The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians while he was imprisoned in Rome, approximately 30 years after Christ’s death and resurrection. The letter was addressed to a small church in Colossae, a city that is now known as Honaz in modern-day Turkey. This church faced challenges from false teachers who were undermining the deity of Jesus, claiming that He was not truly God. Though Paul had never visited the church personally, he felt it was crucial to address these issues head-on, emphasizing the nature of Jesus Christ as Creator and Redeemer—a truth that was non negotiable for Paul. His letter was meant to guide the Colossians back to the true understanding of God’s greatness and glory, which the false teachers had distorted.
Despite their faith, the Colossians were acting as if they were still dead in their sins rather than alive in Christ. Paul admonished them to put to death their old selves and embrace the new life they had in Jesus. He encouraged them to live in the fullness of Christ, rather than in the shadows of their past.
Paul begins this section with a powerful directive:
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 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.”
But what does Paul mean by "set your minds on things that are above"?
The Pursuit of Heavenly Mindedness
Setting our minds on heavenly things is crucial for living out our faith, but as Scott Hubbard from Desiring God.org points out, this pursuit can sometimes go awry:
“The pursuit of heavenly mindedness can go wrong, of course. The popular criticism ‘Don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good’ has teeth because some have, indeed, used heavenly mindedness as an excuse for earthly aloofness. They have hummed ‘I’ll Fly Away’ while floating comfortably through this world, not remembering that the most heavenly minded man of all labored, sweated, healed, touched, and bled for this world of need.”
Paul is not advocating for a disconnection from the world but rather a transformation of how we engage with it. By setting our minds on things above, we align our thoughts and actions with Christ's example—fully engaged, yet fully centered on God.
Put Off The Earthly You
Paul urges the Colossians to put to death the earthly things that once defined their lives as well as their old way of thinking and acting. As believers, we face an ongoing spiritual battle.
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.””
As I began to do a word study for a few of these terms like “impurity, passion, anger, malice, and covetousness,” I was struck by their gravity. According to Webster’s Dictionary, “impurity” means: 1. something that is impure or makes something else impure, 2. the quality or state of being impure. Not too hard to understand, right?
Next, I decided to look at the synonyms for impurity and was stunned by the long list of words: grossness, dirtiness, crudeness, profanity, abusiveness, distastefulness, naughtiness, wickedness, depravity.
The list went on and on with words that I didn’t want to be associated with. This one word was enough for me to realize that I wanted to put off my earthly self and put on my heavenly self.
Put On Your Heavenly Self
Paul doesn’t leave us in the darkness of what we need to put off; he illuminates what we should put on:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Just as Paul urged the Colossians to put off their old ways, he challenged them to put on something new. He reminded them that they were God’s chosen, holy, and beloved ones and that they needed to set their minds on God’s Word and truth.
As Joyce Meyers wisely states: “If you commit to set your mind on God’s Word, renew your mind with truth and get stinkin’ thinkin’ out of your way, then you will experience the fullness of new life that we can all have in Christ.” - Joyce Meyers
This is a call to actively renew our minds with God’s truth, replacing “stinkin thinkin” with the perspective that comes from a deep engagement with Scripture.
Living Out the New Life
Understanding the impact of our thoughts is the first step, but it doesn’t stop there. We must also take practical steps to renew our minds and set the foundation for a life filled with compassion, kindness, humility, and love. By embracing these qualities, we not only transform ourselves but also positively influence the world around us.
Ultimately, setting our minds on things above is not an escape from the world but a means of transforming it. By focusing on Christ, we become more like Him in our actions and attitudes, which makes us truly effective in both heavenly and earthly realms. This is a daily pursuit, a journey of becoming more Christ-like as we live out our faith in tangible ways.
Bible Journaling - Colossians 3:1-17
For this Bible journaling entry, I was deeply inspired by the concept of setting my mind on things above, as Paul encourages in Colossians 3:1-17. To visually capture this idea, I chose an illustration featuring a side profile of a face with a brain, symbolizing our thoughts, alongside an image of the earth. This contrast represents the tension between our earthly and heavenly selves.
After tracing the template (click the link for a FREE template) into my Interleave Bible, I used a permanent black ink pen to define the lines and then brought the illustration to life with watercolors. The vibrant colors reflect the beauty and significance of focusing on what truly matters—our relationship with Christ and the transformation of our minds.
Initially, I planned to simply label the illustration with "earthly" and "heavenly" self, but I decided to go a step further by incorporating a few definitions from Webster's Dictionary. These definitions highlight the stark difference between what is impure, gross, and depraved, versus what is pure, noble, and Christ-like.
This page serves as a powerful reminder to me that my focus should always be on the things above, not on earthly distractions. It's a visual and spiritual cue to continually renew my mind and align my thoughts with God’s truth.
