SET YOUR
MIND: ta ano phroneite (2PPAM):
(Ro 12:2-note,
Ro 8:5-note,
Php 2:5-note,
Php 4:8-note,
Php 2:12,13-note,
Mt 5:8- note,
1Ch 22:19; 29:3; Ps 62:10; 91:14;
119:36,37; Pr 23:5; Eccl 7:14; Mt 16:23;
Ro 8:4, 5, 6-notes; Eph
4:23,
Php 1:23-note;
1Jn 2:15, 16,17)
(contrast Mt 16:23) (Jos 1:8,
Ps 73:25, Ps 8:3,4,48:9, 119:148, 143:5)
Have a relish for
things above, study industriously things above
(Spurgeon)
Set your affection on things above (Webster),
the things above, keep on setting your mind upon
(Literal)
Set your heart on things above, not on earthly things
(Montgomery)
And set your minds and keep them set on what is
above (the higher things) (Amp)
Focus your minds on the
things above (Jewish NT)
Set
you mind - The KJV has
set your affection to which Spurgeon quips...
Not “your affections.” Tie
them up into one bundle. Make one of them.
Set your mind
(5426) (phroneo
from phren = mind) denotes
the whole action of the affections and will as well as the reason.
Phroneo refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought
patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect itself,
and refers more to inner disposition, while keep seeking
is rather practical pursuit. The sure safeguard against seeking
things below, is not to set the mind upon them.
Setting one's minds on things above involves an act of
one's will (active
voice) and is something we must do (imperative
mood =
command)
continually (present
tense = habitual).
Kenneth Wuest picks up on this tense and mood rendering it...
The things above be constantly
setting your mind upon, not the things on the earth
Notice that in this case the
imperative (command) precedes the indicative (the reality =
who we are in Christ, Col 3:3, 4). We are commanded to have this
mindset, based on the truth about our position and our promised
future. Paul wants not only our hearts in glory (Col 3:1), but he also
wants our thoughts in glory.
Joni Eraeckson Tada
writes:
Why all the verbs in the present tense? Because God wants to get your
heart beating with a present-tense excitement, a
right-around-the-corner anticipation of Heaven. Isn’t that the way
strangers on foreign soil are supposed to feel about their homeland?
Vincent suggests that
Seek
marks the practical striving; set your mind, the inward
impulse and disposition. Both must be directed at things above.
As
Lightfoot says:
You must not only seek heaven, you must think heaven
The believer’s whole disposition should orient itself toward heaven,
where Christ is, just as a compass needle orients itself toward the
north.
Remember that everything you
allow into your mind will affect your pursuit of holiness either
positively or negatively so set a guard over your heart (Pr 4:23-note)
and think on things which are true, honorable, etc
(Php 4:8-note)
The
things above - Is literally "the above".
Spurgeon comments...
You say that you were dead with
Christ, and that you have risen with Christ. Live, then, the risen
life, and not the life of those who have never undergone this
matchless process. Live above.
How can we continually think heavenly thoughts
when we are continually bombarded with earthly propaganda?
It is not easy but it is not impossible or otherwise God would not
have commanded us. Do you remember how you felt when you first fell in
love with that person of your dreams? Your thoughts continually
focused on that one who made your heart flutter. When you had free
time your thoughts would drift in their direction. When you lay in bed
at night you thought about them. You'd spend hours together and the
first thing you did when you got home was call them and talk until the
wee hours of the morning.
That "in
love" mindset Paul wants the us to
cultivate and put into practice. Heavenly thinking is thinking about the
One we love more than
life itself because He first loved us so selflessly and sacrificially. It is being so in love with our Lord that we think about
Him all the time, contemplating His loveliness, His power, what it
will be like spending an eternity with the One we love and Who loves us
with a love indescribable and infinite. You're thinking about Him now
aren't you? Why? Because you are "in the book"... not these notes, for
they are not "living and active" but in the Living Word, the Word of
Truth and Promise and Hope. Jesus in the beginning was the Word, and
in these last days God has spoken to us in His Son. It follows that
the best way to "fertilize" our mind so that we are continually
thinking of Jesus, is to be in the Word that speaks about His Person
from Genesis to Revelation.
We need to practice the "presence of God" rising early to
meet Him in sweet communion, listening quietly as we read His love
letter to us, ready to lovingly do our Master's will. We need to
emulate Mary and repose at His feet, rather than be Martha all busy
and bothered about so many things, forgetting that really only one
thing is important.
Every
time we look at that glitzy sports car commercial, we need to remind
ourselves that shiny metal on wheels will never satisfy our innermost
need for our Savior. And "things" will never make us more
significant or valuable than we already are in Christ, our true
Treasure in Whom are hidden all the riches of wisdom and knowledge.
Every time we
are tempted to compromise our ethics to make things comfortable we
must remind ourselves that the impact of our action (1) grieves our
Bridegroom, (2) risks impugning His marvelous name among the
non-believing world (who already thinks most Christians are blatant
hypocrites) and/or (3) will effect
eternity (see the
bema).
Every time we are tempted to choose
a hedonistic activity over obedience
we must remember that we are offending the God Whose Name is Jealous (Attributes)
and the One Who loves us with an
everlasting love (cf Gen 39:9).
In
short, we must resist the notion that true happiness can be found in anything
this world has to offer. It is not in the new car, the faster
computer, the new mate, the bigger home, the highest award, the
growing bank account.
If our greatest desire is for the
things of
this earth, that is where our heart will be tethered (Mt 6:21-note).
If our greatest desire is for the things of Heaven, then our heart
will be in heaven and as a man thinks in his heart so he is.
MacArthur
has these practical words concerning maintenance of a an
"upward mindset"
Paul is not advocating a form of mysticism. Rather, he desires that
the Colossians’ preoccupation with heaven govern their earthly
responses. To be preoccupied with heaven is to be preoccupied with the
One who reigns there and His purposes, plans, provisions, and power.
It is also to view the things, people, and events of this world
through His eyes and with an eternal perspective.... When Christians
begin to live in the heavenlies...they will live out their heavenly
values in this world to the glory of God.
Harry Ironside writes that...
It is of all importance that we realize that we do not stand before
God on the ground of responsibility. The responsible man failed
utterly to keep his obligations. There was nothing for him, therefore,
but condemnation, but our Lord Jesus Christ has borne that
condemnation; He voluntarily, in infinite grace, took the place of the
sinner and bore his judgment upon the cross. Now in resurrection, as
we have seen, all who believe are not only given a perfect
representation by Him before the throne of God, but we are in Him in
virtue of being partakers of His life.
It is when the soul enters into this experimentally, realizing that
the death of Christ, in which faith has given him part, has severed
the link that bound him to the world and all its purposes and has
freed him from all necessity to be subject to sin in the flesh, that
he will be free to glorify God as he walks in newness of life. Most
theological systems fail to apprehend this great truth of the new
man in Christ, hence so few believers have settled peace and
realize their union with Him who sits at God's right hand, not only as
the Head of the Church, but as the Head of every man who has found
life through Him.
Occupation, then, with Christ risen in the energy of the Holy Spirit,
is the power for holiness. We are called upon to seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Our
real life is there, our truest, best interests are all identified with
Him. Heavenly-mindedness is the natural, or I should say, spiritual
outcome of this realization.
A story is told of a little girl many years ago in the slums who saw
an object lesson using a beautiful white lily. The children gazed upon
and touched the lovely lily. One little girl then looked upon herself
and immediately fled to her garret home. She used soap she could find,
and did her best to make herself more presentable. The lily had
awakened her desire for cleanliness. So to look upon our great and
holy God awakens within the child of God the desire to be more like
Him."
The best way to live in the world
Is to live above
the World
In his classic
spiritual allegory Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan paints a word
picture of a man "who looked no way but downward." This poor
creature was on his knees in the dirt and filth, working
constantly with a rake, trying to unearth some choice morsel
that would enrich his life. Yet all the while a bright crown of
immeasurable worth was within reach just above him. Bunyan
summarizes the tragedy:
"There stood
One
over his head with a celestial crown in
His
hand, and proffered him that crown for his muck rake; but
the man never looked up as he continued gathering to
himself the straw, the small sticks, and the dust of the
floor!"
Bunyan's words remind us that the rewards of
heaven will have no appeal unless we set our mind "on
things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2).
Although we who have trusted Christ as Savior have to live
here in this world, we should not cling to material
things. We must become so occupied with pleasing Him and
working for the crowns of eternal reward that we have no
desire to dig in the dirt of this fleeting world. In
the light of Colossians 3:2, isn't it time that you and I
adjust our priorities?
John Owen
Fix your affections upon the things
that are above, and this will enable you to mortify sin. Heavenly
things are blessed and suitable objects—God Himself, in His beauty and
glory; the Lord Jesus Christ, who is 'altogether lovely,' the 'chief
of ten thousand'; grace and glory; and the blessed promises of the
gospel.
Were our affections filled, taken up, and possessed with these things,
as it is our duty that they should be—and it is our happiness when
they are—what access could sin, with its painted pleasures, with its
sugared poisons, with its envenomed baits, have into our souls? How
should we loathe all sin's proposals, and say unto them, "Away with
you, you abominable thing!" For what are the vain, transitory
pleasures of sin—in comparison to the heavenly glories which are
proposed unto us?
><> ><> ><>
This is the proper order...upward focus, saying ''yes, Lord'' then
''No" to the world, the flesh and the devil. Have this mindset,
this inner impulse and disposition. Things are not to master you.
Motivated and empowered by His Spirit (Gal 5:16, 17, 18 -see series on walking in the
Spirit beginning at
Gal 5:16;
17;
18) we are to master ''things'' and
not let our possessions ''possess'' us!
Feet on earth, mind in heaven but not ''so heavenly minded that we are
of no earthly good.
This emphasis (too much on heaven) is not most believer's
problem. Many are so earthly minded that they are of
no good to His heavenly cause on earth! The practical things of everyday life
get their direction from Christ in heaven - Look at earth from
heaven's point of view. Pray (Mt 6:10
[note]) 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven.'
Paul in Romans 8 (Ro 8:5, 6, 7-note) makes it clear that the way one thinks is
intimately related to the way one lives, whether in Christ, in the
Spirit and by faith, or alternatively in the flesh, in sin and in
spiritual death. A man’s thinking and striving cannot be seen in
isolation from the overall direction of his life. Our life will be
reflected in the aims we set for ourselves. So let us set our mind on
the the things above...it will affect the way we order our steps in
our present earthly life.
Deep-seated,
lasting lifestyle change is rooted in and flows from
change in mental focus >> How I live flows from how I
think.
In (Acts 7:55, 56) Stephen's mental focus was manifest in his Spirit-filled godliness as He was about
to be stoned to death. He choose not to look at his executioners
but to look to Jesus and let all who were present know that he saw Christ standing at the
right hand of God. Stephen did not chose to focus on his difficult situation
but fixed his heart on the Lord, giving us an incredible example of
heavenly thinking to imitate in our daily walk. (He 6:11,12-note)
A FEW WAYS TO
LOOK UP**
Pause often to look
at the clouds (Ps 19:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 -
Spurgeon's notes) and think of the day when Christ will come
in the clouds (Re 1:7
-
see note)
Hear the thunder
(Ps 29:2,3-note v2 ;
note v3) and
rejoice that the God who made the powerful storms (Ps
107:25, 29-note
v25;
note v29) is the
God who holds your hand and loves you with an
everlasting love (Ps 100:5
-
note).
See the people around
you and remember that these are people that matter to
God (1Ti 2:3, 4, Isa 45:22, Isa 55:1, Ezek 18:23).
See a hearse or
cemetery and remember that death is not the end, but a
beginning, a victory, a home going (Job 19:25, 26, 27).
Use the quiet moments
in a waiting room to recount God's promises (2Pe 1:3,4-note) and to
fellowship with Him in prayer (Ps 24:6-
note,
Ps 27:4 -
note,
Ps 27:8 -
note).
In the times of
conflict turn to Him before we respond in anger (Ps 37:8
-
note,
Pr 14:29, Pr 16:32, Ep 4:26,
27-notes;
Ep 4:31-note,
Js 1:19, 20-note
)
Pause to look at
the day lilies (Ps 12:27) or a sunset
(Ps 19:4, 5, 6-Spurgeon's notes), or a star-filled night and
marvel at the creative splendor of God (Ps 8:3, 4
-
Spurgeon's notes,
Isa 40:26)
** (Modified with addition of cross
references from a sermon by
Bruce Goettsche)
(Hold pointer over blue links for
popups)
In short, the number way to
believers can "look up" is to fix their minds on the special
revelation of God in His Word. It is pragmatic but it is also
supernatural for when you read the Bible, you are reading the actual
Words of God, the One Who lives in the heavenlies.
NOT ON THE
THINGS THAT ARE ON THE EARTH: me ta epi tes ges:
(Ps
49:11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16, 17; Mt 6:19; Lk 12:15; 16:8,9,11,19-25; Php
3:19; 1Jn 2:15
Pilgrims & Strangers)
The things “on
the earth” are the things mentioned in the preceding chapter,
which include legalistic and ascetic principles and practices.
Spurgeon comments
That which is proper enough for a
dead man is quite unsuitable for a risen one. Objects of desire which
might suit us when we were sinners are not legitimate nor worthy
objects for us when we are made saints. As we are quickened we must
exercise life, and as we have ascended we must love higher things than
those of earth.
Paul
does not mean that we should never think the things upon the earth,
but that these should not be our aim, our goal, our master. The
Christian has to keep his feet upon the earth, but his head in the
heavens. He must be heavenly-minded here on earth and so help to make
earth like heaven. Note also that
Paul was not enjoining an other-world asceticism. He had just
condemned that approach to spirituality (Col 2:20-23). He was however
saying that life in this world will be better if it is lived by a
power beyond this world, the power of the resurrected, ascended,
glorified Christ.
Eadie notes that Paul
does not
urge any transcendental contempt of things below, but simply asks that
the heart be not set upon them in the same way, and to the same
extent, in which it is set upon things above. The pilgrim is not to
despise the comforts which he may meet with by the way, but he is not
to tarry among them, or leave them with regret. “Things on earth”
are only subordinate and instrumental—“things above” are
supreme and final. Attachment to things on the earth is unworthy of
one who has risen with Christ, for they are beneath him, and the love
of them is not at all in harmony with his position and prospects. What
can wealth achieve for him who has treasure laid up in heaven? Or
honour for him who is already enthroned in the heavenly places? Or
pleasure for him who revels in “newness of life”? Or power for him who
is endowed with a moral omnipotence? Or fame for him who enjoys the
approval of God? Nay, too often, when the “things on earth” are
possessed, they concentrate the heart upon them, and the “look and
thoughts are downward bent.” Bishop Wilson on this place observes—“for
things on earth too naturally draw us down, attract us, fix us. Esau's
red pottage prevails over the birthright. The guests in the parable
turn away to their land, or oxen, or families. The Gadarene mind
wishes Christ to depart from its coasts.” The things on earth are
seen, therefore they are temporal; the things in heaven are unseen,
and therefore they are eternal. If the mind be fully occupied with
things above, things on earth will be barred out. (Eadie,
John: Commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Colossians - Download 377
page Pdf - 1884)
Warren Doud: God sees things differently than we do. God's
viewpoint here is positional truth. God views us as already both dead
(Col 2:20), buried (Col 2:12) and raised in Christ. God sees better
than we do but he expects us to see what he has done in Christ with
the eye of faith. This has nothing to do with our feelings. We cannot
taste, feel or smell positional truth
Paul Apple - Matter of
Perspective – Interview with players on Loyola’s women’s lacrosse team
– ranked #1 n nation – just beat Maryland a week ago – their coach is
battling cancer – players have gained a new perspective: “Don’t sweat
the small stuff” – they can deal with any minor adversity they face in
the game of lacrosse. We should have perspective: “Don’t sweat the
earthly stuff”
Paul described the character of those in Philippi who had set their
mind (same verb as
in Col 3:2) on
earthly things
For
many
walk, of
whom I
often
told you, and
now
tell you
even
weeping, that they are
enemies of the
cross of
Christ
whose
end is
destruction,
whose
god is their
appetite, and whose
glory is in their
shame,
who
(present tense
continually, habitually)
set their
minds on
earthly
things."
(see note
Philippians 3:18-19)
What are "the things above"
upon
Which we are to keep setting our focus?
Guy King...
"Set your
affection" - rightly, for what we love we become
like; and it is that likeness to Him that is
destined to wield our greatest influence on others.
But do you notice that the margin says this "set
your mind," and it suggests the idea of setting our
watch by the sun? Our clock may be fast or slow, or
may even have stopped, and so we seek to put it
right. It is not wise to make a guess, nor to follow
other people's clocks; but the best way is to
regulate it by Greenwich Mean Time, which ultimately
means the sun. Yes, again, "the Sun of
Righteousness," Malachi 4:2. If we want to keep our
lives right, let us regularly regulate them by Him.
Thus, if those others want to know the right time
from us, we shall not lead them astray since we
ourselves are right with Him - "ye became followers
of us, and of the Lord," 1Th 1:6! Paul and his Lord
blessedly synchronized, so that to go by him was
tantamount to going by Him. May our behaviour be
always so accurately adjusted that "we have the mind
of Christ," 1Co 2:16. So, then, set your mind - "Not
on things on the earth." There are those "who mind
earthly things," Php 3:19. Strange as it may seem,
some Christians are thus regulated. They just seem
unable to rise above their conditions and
circumstances - no resurrection life for them.
Christians they are, but so low-level Christians, so
incongruously dwelling all the time in the earthlies.
One thinks of the occasion when a company of
Israelites were forgathered with the Philistines,
before a battle, when the princes of the latter
asked, in surprise, "What do these Hebrews here?"
1Sa 29:3. One is inclined to ask concerning
believers who are earthbound, "What do these
Christians here?" Of course, we cannot ignore
earthly things. When we became Christians, we were
not at once transported to Heaven, but left here:
- to be a "Salt"
of the earth, to stave off corruption,
- to be a "Light"
of the world, to illumine the darkness,
- to be a "City"
set on a hill, to guide people on to the city "whose
builder and maker is God," Hebrews 11:10.
These three
ministries are committed to us as part of the
economy of the Kingdom, Matthew 5:13, 14. Yes,
indeed, "in the world," but not "of the world," John
17:11, 16.
"On things
above." There are the things which are to guide
our life below.
We are to
accumulate Possessions in Heaven - "lay up for
yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal," Matthew 6:20. So different
from earth's treasures.
We are to
value Popularity with Heaven - it is said of
some that "they loved the praise of men more than
the praise of God," John 12:43. How different is
Paul's good soldier, "that he may please Him who
hath chosen him to be a soldier," 2Ti 2:4.
We are to
enjoy even here the Pleasures of Heaven - "in
Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore," Psalm 16:2. So
different from "the pleasures of sin for a season,"
Hebrews 11:25.
We are to
rejoice in a Position in Heaven - "but rather
rejoice because your names are written in heaven,"
Luke 10:20. So different from those, however great
and famous they may be, who are only "written in the
earth," Jeremiah 17:13.
We are to
endure and energize for the Prize of Heaven -
"forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before, I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high
["upward[/b]," Gk.] calling of God in Christ Jesus,"
Php 3:13, 14. So different from the "corruptible
crown," 1Co 9:25, which is the best that earth's
striving can attain. We are to covet the Power of
Heaven - "tarry ye . . . until ye be endued with
power from on high," Lk 24:49. So different from
man, who out of much failure has to confess "How
frail I am," Ps 39:4.
Assuredly, it is
our wisdom to set our minds thus "on things above".
Such is the outlook of the resurrection life, always
the uplook: to speak metaphorically, their habit is
"Look from the top" Song 4:8KJV. (Colossians
3:1-4 His Encouragement of Ambition)
><>><>><>
Thomas Watson
You shall never go to heaven when
you die—unless you begin heaven here. Grace puts high thoughts, divine
affections, a kind of heavenly ambition into the soul.
Oh, how sordid is it for him who has his hope in heaven—to have his
heart upon the earth! The 'lapwing' insect has a crown on her head—and
yet feeds on dung. A fit emblem of those who have a crown of
profession on their head—yet feed with eagerness on earthly vanities.
Let all the golden streams of worldly delights run into the heart of a
man—yet the heart is not full. Strain out the quintessence of the
creature—it turns to froth, "Vanity of vanities!" But in God is sweet
satisfaction and contentment. He is a hive of sweetness, a mirror of
beauty, a storehouse of riches! He is the river of pleasure, where the
soul bathes with infinite delight!
The bird, the higher it takes its flight, the sweeter it sings. Just
so, the higher the soul is raised above the world—the sweeter joy it
has. How is the heart inflamed in prayer! How is it ravished in holy
meditation! These joys are those honey-streams which flow out of the
rock, Christ! He has those tastes of God's love—which are the
beginnings of heaven. So sweet is this kind of life, that it can drop
sweetness into our troubles and afflictions—that we shall be scarcely
sensible of them. It can turn the prison into a paradise; the furnace
into a festival; it can sweeten death. A soul elevated by grace, can
rejoice to think of dying. Death will but cut the string, and the
soul, that bird of paradise, shall fly away and be at rest. Happiness
is but the cream of holiness!
(A
Christian on Earth, Still in Heaven)
><>><>><>
C. H. Spurgeon offers a lengthy but picturesque reply which is worth
pondering:
"First,
there is God himself. Make him the subject of your thoughts,
your desires, your emotions, your love (Study
His Attributes).
“Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he will give thee the desires
of thine heart.” (Ps 37:4-note,
Ps 37:5-note)
“My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him.” (Ps
62:5-note)
Call him “God my exceeding joy.” (Ps 43:4-note)
Let nothing come between you and your heavenly Father. What is all the
world if you have not God, and when you once have God, what matters it
though all the world be gone? God is all things, and when thou canst
say “God is mine,” thou art richer than Croesus. O to say, “Whom
have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire
beside thee.” (Ps 73:25-note,
Ps 73:26-note) O to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all
our mind, and with all our strength: that is what the law required, it
is what the gospel enables us to render....I
see Jesus, who is God, but yet is truly man. Need I press upon
you, beloved, to set your love upon the Well beloved? Has he not won
your heart, and doth he not hold it now as under a mighty spell? I
know you love him. Fix your mind on him then. Often meditate upon his
divine person, his perfect work, his mediatorial glory, his second
coming, his glorious reign, his love for you, your own security in
him, your union with him. Oh let these sweet thoughts possess your
breasts, fill your mouths, and influence your lives. Let the morning
break with thoughts of Christ, and let your last thought at night be
sweetened with his presence. Set your affection upon him who has set
his affection upon you...I
see the new Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all. I see the
church of Christ triumphant in heaven, with which the church militant
is one....And what else is there above that our hearts should love but
heaven itself? It is the place of holiness; let us so
love it that we begin to be holy here. It is the place of rest;
let us so delight in it that by faith we enter into that rest. O my
brethren, you have vast estates which you have never seen; and
methinks if I had an estate on earth which was soon to be mine I
should wish to take a peep over the hedge now and then. If I could not
take possession, I should like to see what I had in reversion. I would
make an excuse to pass that way and say to any who were with me,
“That estate is going to be mine before long.” In your present
poverty console yourselves with the many mansions. In your sickness
delight much in the land where the inhabitants shall no more say, “I
am sick.” In the midst of depression of spirit comfort your heart
with the prospect of unmixed felicity....What!
Are you fettered to earth? Can you not project yourself into the
future?
The stream of death is narrow; cannot your imagination and your
faith leap over the brook to stand on the hither shore awhile and cry,
“All is mine, and mine for ever. Where Jesus is there shall I be;
where Jesus sits there shall I rest...Oh to get away at this present
time from these dull cares which like a fog envelope us! Even we that
are Christ’s servants, and live in his court, at times feel weary, and
droop as if his service were hard....you who are in business, and mix
with the world by the necessity of your callings, must find it
difficult to keep quite clear of the down-dragging influences of this
poor world; it will hamper you if it can. You are like a bird, which
is always in danger when it alights on the earth. There are lime,
twigs, and traps, and nets, and guns, and a poor bird is never safe
except upon the wing and up aloft. Yet birds must come down to feed,
and they do well to gather their meal in haste, and take to their
wings again. When we come down among men we must speedily be up again.
When you have to mix with the world, and see its sin and evil, yet
take heed that you do not light on the ground without your Father: and
then, as soon as ever you have picked up your barley, rise again,
away, away, for this is not your rest. You are like Noah’s dove flying
over the waste of waters, there is no rest for the sole of your feet
but on the ark with Jesus. On this resurrection-day fence out the
world, let us chase away the wild boar of the wood, and let the vines
bloom, and the tender grapes give forth their good smell, and let the
Beloved come and walk in the garden of our souls, while we delight
ourselves in him and in his heavenly gifts. Let us not carry our
burden of things below on this holy day, but let us keep it as a
Sabbath unto the Lord. On the Sabbath we are no more to work with our
minds than with our hands. Cares and anxieties of an earthly kind
defile the day of sacred rest. The essence of Sabbath-breaking lies in
worry, and murmuring, and unbelief, with which too many are filled.
Put these away, beloved, for we are risen with Christ, and it is not
meet that we should wander among the tombs. Nay, rather let us sing
unto the Lord a new song, and praise him with our whole soul."
When life gets you down, remember to look up.
The master key to success is knowing the
Master
The only way to see life clearly is to focus on Christ.
Only the
mind that is set on things above can say "YES" to Christ-like
holiness and "NO" to sin. The choice is ours. The power is His.
Just as pilots focus on
their instruments even though they cannot see their destination and
all their senses are telling them that they are going the wrong
direction, so saints are to focus on
"the instrument panel" of what God says is true about us even though it may not feel
true at the time. Remember not home yet. As we focus on truth "our
inner
man is
being
renewed
day
by
day" by the Holy Spirit (2Cor
4:16)
><>><>><>
Temptation Too
Great -
In his book Hurrying
Big for Little Reasons, Ronald Meredith spoke of a quiet
spring night when the silence was broken by the sound of
wild geese flying. “I ran to the house,” Meredith
comments, “and breathlessly announced the excitement I
felt. What is to compare with wild geese across the moon?
It might have ended there, except for the sight of our
tame mallards on the pond. They heard the wild call they
had once known. The honking out of the night sent little
arrows of prompting deep into their wild yesterdays. Their
wings fluttered a feeble response. The urge to fly—to take
their place in the sky for which God had made them—was
sounding in those feathered breasts, but they never raised
from the water. The matter had been settled long ago. The
corn of the barnyard was too tempting!” (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
><>><>><>
Focus -
Missionary pilot Bernie May writes, "One of the most
difficult lessons to teach new pilots about landing on
short, hazardous airstrips is to keep their eyes on the
good part of the strip rather than on the hazard. The
natural tendency is to concentrate on the obstacle, the
danger, the thing he is trying to avoid. But experience
teaches us that a pilot who keeps his eye on the hazard
will sooner or later hit it dead center."
This makes me think of a spiritual principle in the Bible.
Instead of concentrating on the sins we want to avoid, we
are told to focus on the positive actions Christ desires
for us. Paul told the Christians at Colosse: "Set your
mind on things above, not on things on the earth"
(Colossians 3:2). We are to discard old ways of thinking
and acting (Colossians 3:5, 6, 7, 8, 9) and "put on" new ways of living
(Colossians 3:10-17).
Bernie May sums it up by saying that experienced pilots
focus their attention solidly on the track they want the
plane to follow, keeping the hazards in their peripheral
vision only.
When Christ and His interests are the focus of our lives,
the lure of the old life remains in the corner of our eye,
while we aim to land squarely in the center of God's
will.—David C. McCasland (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
THINKING IT OVER
What "hazards" sometimes divert
your attention from Jesus?
What positive, God-honoring actions
can you concentrate on doing instead?
Those who fix their
eyes on heaven
will not be distracted by the things of
earth.
><>><>><>
RIPPLES ON THE POND
- Colossians 3:2. A young boy made a toy boat
and then went to sail it on a pond. While he was playing
with it along the water's edge, the boat floated out
beyond his reach. In his distress he asked an older boy to
help him. Without saying a word, the older child picked up
some stones and started to throw them toward the boat.
The little boy became upset, for he thought that the one
he had turned to for help was being mean. Soon, though, he
noticed that instead of hitting the boat, each stone was
directed beyond it, making a small ripple that moved the
vessel a little nearer to the shore. Every throw of the
stone was planned, and at last the treasured toy was
brought back to his waiting hands.
Sometimes it seems as if God allows circumstances into our
lives that are harming us and are without sense or plan.
We may be sure, though, that these waves of trial are
intended to bring us nearer to Himself, to encourage us to
set our minds "on things above, not on things on the
earth" (Colossians 3:2). Because we are prone to drift
away from Him, the Lord must discipline us to get us back
on the right course (Hebrews 12:9, 10, 11).
How are you responding to life's difficulties? They are
God's loving way of drawing you closer to Him. —H G Bosch
Lightly hold earth's
joys so transient,
Lightly hold to things of clay,
Grasp perfections everlasting,
Where Christ dwells in heaven's day! —Bosch
God uses the waves of trial
to draw us closer to Himself.
><>><>><>
The Choice Is Ours - One
summer afternoon I climbed a hill near my home. When I reached the
top, I stretched out on the grass to relax.
Turning my head to one side, my eyes focused on some blades of grass
within inches of my face. This short-range focus not only strained my
eyes, but it blurred my view of anything beyond the end of my nose. So
I began to adjust my focus, and then the distant city came into view
instead. I found I could shift my sights from near to far at will. The
choice was mine.
In today's Bible reading, the apostle Paul emphasized that followers
of Christ need to keep eternity in view. He wrote, "Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). We can
choose where to put our focus.
We can succumb to selfish, earthbound thoughts, blurring our view of
anything beyond the end of our nose. Or we can gaze through this
sinful scene and fix our attention on things above, where Christ is
seated at God's right hand-and we with Him! Then, and only then, are
we in a position to see what's most important in life.
Only the mind set on things above can say no to sin and yes to
holiness. The choice is ours. —Joanie Yoder (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Help me to
watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely;
And let me ne'er my trust betray,
But press to realms on high. -Wesley
The only way to see life clearly
is to focus on Christ
><>><>><>
Vulture
Appetites - While driving along a highway, I have often seen
vultures soaring high overhead, swooping down, and then rising up
again with the air currents. Every so often, a small group of them can
be seen sitting right on the roadway, tearing apart and gobbling up
the carcass of some unfortunate creature. I get the impression that
these ugly birds are on the lookout continually for what is loathsome
and repulsive!
Some people are like that. Nothing seems to satisfy them more than
feasting on what is sinful, corrupt, and immoral. The books and
magazines they read, the TV programs they watch, the conversations
they engage in, and the activities they pursue reveal a vulture-like
appetite.
How much better is the spiritual diet the Bible suggests: "Whatever
things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things
are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy -- meditate on these things" (Php 4:8-note).
What kind of "food" do you prefer? Don't be like the vulture. Rather,
"as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow
thereby" (see note
1 Peter 2:2). - Richard W. De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
O child of
God, guard well your eyes
From anything that stains the heart;
Forsake those things that soil the mind --
Your Father wants you set apart.--Fasick
The new birth
creates a new appetite
and requires a new diet.
><>><>><>
Proper
Priorities - In his classic spiritual allegory "Pilgrim's
Progress," John Bunyan paints a word picture of a man "who looked no
way but downward." This poor creature was on his knees in the dirt and
filth, working constantly with a rake, trying to unearth some choice
morsel that would enrich his life. Yet all
the while a bright crown of immeasurable worth was within reach just
above him.
Bunyan summarizes the tragedy: "There stood One over his head with a
celestial crown in His hand, and proffered him that crown for his muck
rake; but the man never looked up as he continued gathering to himself
the straw, the small sticks, and the dust of the floor!"
Bunyan's words remind us that the rewards of heaven will have no
appeal unless we set our mind "on things above, not on things on the
earth" (Col. 3:2).
Although we who have trusted Christ as Savior have to live here in
this world, we should not cling to material things. We must become so
occupied with pleasing Him and working for the crowns of eternal
reward that we have no desire to dig in the dirt of this fleeting
world.
In the light of Colossians 3:2, isn't it time that you and I adjust
our priorities?-- Henry G. Bosch (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I'm
pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day --
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."-- Oatman
The best way to live "in" the world
is to live "above" the world.
><>><>><>
What's The
Connection? - The image on the TV screen captures our attention
and we sit down to watch. As we flip from channel to channel, is there
any connection between what we decide to watch and what is in our
heart? Does our faith in Christ have anything at all to do with our TV
choices? In a world of falling standards, we must think through this
question: How does our relationship with Christ affect our TV viewing
habits?
One secular writer speaking about today's television programs said,
"The notion of indecency has become obsolete." He is suggesting that a
standard has been pushed aside. What is that standard? I believe it's
the moral standard found in biblical teaching.
Most TV productions are not governed by the guidelines God wants us to
follow. The Bible tells us, "Whatever things are true, whatever things
are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if
there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on
these things" (Php 4:8-note).
It's hard to do that when we're being bombarded by the ungodly images
presented on television. Let's ask God to help us make godly choices
in what we watch on TV. —Dave Branon (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Sow a
thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. —Anon.
Character is
formed by making choices in one direction.
><>><>><>
FOOLISH
EXCUSES (F B Meyer in Our Daily Walk) "Come; for all things are
now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse."--
Luke 14:17, 18.
IN THIS parable our Lord seems to show that the temptations of life
lie in three directions. Our Property. So long as we are pilgrims and
strangers, with no settled piece of land to call our own, with no
stake in the country, with no accumulation in the bank, we reach out
our hands towards the city that hath foundations (He 11:10, 11, 12,
13, 14-see notes
He 11:10;
11;
12;
13;
14). But
when we buy a field, we are often preoccupied and engrossed with it,
and all it stands for. We must lay it out for building, or plan the
crops we are to raise; we think how we can sell it again at some
advantage; we hope the railway company may need it. And so, though we
may be outwardly punctilious in our religious observance, yet our
affections are not set on things above (Col 3:1, 2, 3, 4 -see notes
Col 3:1;
2;
3;
4).
Our Activities. There is nothing wrong in having a team of oxen; on
the contrary, it is a great and noble thing to plough up the virgin
soil, and to make corn grow for the sustenance of the toiling millions
of our fellow men. The oxen of Christ's time have their counterpart in
the machinery of to-day--the traction engine and the motor-car. All
these things marvelously preoccupy our minds. Men become so deeply
interested, that they have no time or energy for anything else. They
may not give an absolute negative to the invitations of Christ, but
their urbane and polite excuse covers a practical refusal--"I pray
Thee have me excused."
Our Home and Family Life. Our Lord said no word against these. Did He
not honour a wedding feast with His Presence and first miracle? But He
knows that we are apt to set aside the claims of the spiritual life
when we are surrounded by all the joys and comforts of Material
happiness.
The excuses which were offered were very shallow--the land would not
have disappeared if its owner had postponed visiting it for a day; the
cattle had surely been proved already, or they would not have been
bought. As to the newly-married wife, there was no reason why she
should not have accompanied her husband, there was plenty of room for
both. Let us respond to the love which Christ offers to us, lest we be
refused by Him at the last (He 12:25-note).
PRAYER - We beseech Thee, our most gracious God, to preserve us from
the cares of this life, lest we be too much entangled therein. AMEN.
><>><>><>
The Narrow Way
by William Cowper
What thousands never knew the road!
What thousands hate it when ‘tis known!
None but the chosen tribes of God
Will seek or choose it for their own.
A thousand ways in ruin end,
One only leads to joys on high;
By that my willing steps ascend,
Pleased with a journey to the sky.
No more I ask or hope to find
Delight or happiness below;
Sorrow may well possess the mind
That feeds where thorns and thistles grow.
The joy that fades is not for me,
I seek immortal joys above;
There glory without end shall be
The bright reward of faith and love.
Cleave to the world, ye sordid worms,
Contented lick your native dust!
But God shall fight with all his storms,
Against the idol of your trust.