“Set Your Minds” by Brandon Hudson
Colossians 3:1-17
Recently I've been contemplating how much time I spend dwelling on things that are unhealthy for my soul. Do you feel the same? In the past few years, I feel like there's a bit of information overload through social media, Twitter, newsfeeds, etc. Some of it seems very helpful; I want to know what's going on to make the best decisions for myself, my family, and my church. However it’s also sucking the life out of me. It’s too much, too polarizing. This group bashing that group, trying to make me and my group feel superior to you and your group, etc. So much destruction.
I wonder if Jesus wants something different from his people. Less time focused on all that's going on in the world and more time spent with Him. In the midst of all this, I’m drawn to these words from Paul.
“Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1b-2
Seek and set your mind on things that are above. What does this mean? What does this look like? It doesn’t look like setting our minds on the things of the earth such as the information overload mentioned earlier. How much of our focus is connected to the here and now? How much is necessary? When is it too much? What would it look like for us to drown out some of the noise around us, open our Bibles, think deeply, think slowly, pray and spend time with our creator?
In verse 10 Paul says, “being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” and in verse 16, “Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly.” Adding knowledge that leads to renewal and transformation is a powerful truth. Filling our minds with God’s truth rather than the worlds information will change our lives, for the better, helping us live and act as Jesus did. I'm not sure about you, but that sounds so much more life-giving. Not only will my own mind and heart be affected but I’ll also carry that with me as I interact with others.
Let’s set some limits on the information our world demands we digest. And instead “Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly.”