Exercise your mind – Saturday, 2 September

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:2 KJV

“Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.”
Colossians 3:2 TLB

“Give your heart to the heavenly things, not to the passing things of earth.”
Colossians 3:2 PHILLIPS

Paul is strongly encouraging us to focus our hearts and fill our minds with godly things. He understood the importance of focus. Proverbs says as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7) and out of the heart flow all the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Your heart desires what your mind focuses on, and your life will follow the course of your focus. If you want to enjoy the abundant life that Christ came to give you, then what you focus on and think about is vitally important.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2 NKJV

“Don’t copy thebehaviour and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.”
Romans 12:2 TLB

The Christian life isn’t about trying to obtain something – it’s about renewing your mind (changing your way of thinking) in accordance with the truth about your new identity (in Christ) now that you are a Christian. As you realize more and more of the truth about your new identity in Christ, you will start to transform in every area of your life. It’s about learning to see things like God sees them and starting to think about things like God thinks about things. This can only happen as we study His Word. As we come to know and accept God’s views on matters it will bring radical transformation and fruitfulness in our lives.

We are either conforming to the ways of the world (thinking and acting like the world does) or we’re setting our affection on things above and starting to think like God (to think according to His Word).

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:2 KJV

To set your affection means to exercise your mind. Most people don’t want to exercise their minds – they don’t really give any thought to what they think about, and yet the Bible is so clear that the way we think in our hearts (and what we believe) determines the rest of our lives (Proverbs 23:7)! Setting our affection on things above takes some discipline, but it all comes down to a choice – we can choose what we think about and what we focus on, therefore we can choose the direction of our lives.

As we focus on Jesus and what He has done for us it will ignite something within us and we will rise up and start living in more and more of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10).

Much love,