There are many ways you can see things, aside from your eyes. A man can see with his mind, his spirit, his heart.”
–Claire Huffaker (The Cowboy and the Cossack)
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
–Matthew 6:22-23(NKJV)
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I have often heard the saying, “He’s so heavenly-minded, he’s no earthly good.” However, the truth of the matter is that it should be said that the person who is heavenly-minded does the most earthly good. Those individuals go through life with a different perspective. They understand the true meaning of stewardship, ethics, and work. They know for Whom they are working and living for. If you have not made a resolution for 2025, or even if you have perhaps you will want to add these verses from Colossians to your list.
3.1 — If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
3.2 — Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (NKJV)
3.1 — Since (or if) then, you have been raised up (that is, resurrected) to new life to reign with Christ, keep on desiring and focusing on the things that are above, where Christ is seated and reigns at the right hand (side) of God.
3.2 — Therefore you must [continually] set and center your thoughts on [heavenly] things above, not on the things on the earth. (Dr. Henry A. Harbuck’s translation)
We search, run hither and thither, to obtain earthly, material things. Things that do not satisfy. It is time for us, as Christians, to look at the things that really matter. We are “to set” our minds on the things that Christ has for us, things that the world cannot comprehend or understand. We need to view life through the lens of the eternal realities of heaven. To “set” in the Greek term “emphasizes an ongoing decision.” (NKJV Study Bible) Our lives should not be guided, influenced, or dictated by the world, but by disciplining ourselves to focus on eternal realities. William Barclay stresses, “Now the thoughts of the Christian must be set on the things which are above. He can no longer be concerned with the trivial passing things of earth; he must be totally concerned with the eternal verities of heaven.”
This is not escapism, nor is it otherworldliness. It is not a means to withdraw, but it is to involve ourselves as Christ would while we journey through this life. If we are to be “salt and light” we must have an eternal mindset. We must “view everything against the background of eternity and no longer live as if this world was all that mattered.”(Barclay)
We are to “mortify” or “put to death” (vs 5) those earthly, worldly passions that once captivated us. Put aside selfish ambition; put away worldly ambition and seek the things of Christ and His kingdom. Know that our standards of values have changed. I am reminded of the old song we used to sing in childrens’ church: “I tell you best thing I ever did do, I took off the old coat and put on the new…” (Johnson Oatman, Jr.)
We must change the priorities of our lives. Prioritize everything you do in the light of God’s Word, in the light of eternity. Some things are trivial, some are worthless, some are coarse, some probably are downright sinful. Look at your daily responsibilities and see them from God’s perspective. Your goals should reflect His agenda. How about your time, schedule, and purpose–does it reflect eternal values and work for the kingdom? Then to set our thoughts on things above we must know what they are, therefore, we need to study God’s Word. Yes, devotions are okay; it’s like eating a cookie for breakfast, but we must know the Word of God. Pray…pray not for selfish gain, but pray to know God, pray to develop a relationship. Pray as a means of conversation. Worship, ah how that term is thrown around. Worship should be a lifestyle. Later on in chapter 3 of Colossians we read that everything we do should be unto the Lord–that is worship. And that also means that it should be to the best of our ability, not “that’s good enough.” Finally, I would say, to be heavenly-minded is to share. It may be verbally, but much of our sharing, our witness, is not verbal but how we do our work. We are “living letters”, how do people read us? When we have conversations how much of it is about spiritual things? See, we are not to be spiritually illiterate. Another way we share is to give. Give of our finances, our time, our schedule, in other words we should be aware of the many ways in which we can give as unto the Lord.
How would people describe you? “Music is your life–Sports is your life–You live for your work. Such a man finds life and all that it means in music, in sport, in work, as the case may be. For the Christian, Christ is his life.” (Barclay) Barclay continues to say, “He judges everything in the light of the Cross and in the light of the love which gave itself for him. In the light of that Cross the world’s wealth and ambitions and activities are seen at their true value; and, the Christian is enabled to set his whole heart on the things which are above.”
————————————
I have often heard the saying, “He’s so heavenly-minded, he’s no earthly good.” However, the truth of the matter is that it should be said that the person who is heavenly-minded does the most earthly good. Those individuals go through life with a different perspective. They understand the true meaning of stewardship, ethics, and work. They know for Whom they are working and living for. If you have not made a resolution for 2025, or even if you have perhaps you will want to add these verses from Colossians to your list.
3.1 — If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
3.2 — Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (NKJV)
3.1 — Since (or if) then, you have been raised up (that is, resurrected) to new life to reign with Christ, keep on desiring and focusing on the things that are above, where Christ is seated and reigns at the right hand (side) of God.
3.2 — Therefore you must [continually] set and center your thoughts on [heavenly] things above, not on the things on the earth. (Dr. Henry A. Harbuck’s translation)
We search, run hither and thither, to obtain earthly, material things. Things that do not satisfy. It is time for us, as Christians, to look at the things that really matter. We are “to set” our minds on the things that Christ has for us, things that the world cannot comprehend or understand. We need to view life through the lens of the eternal realities of heaven. To “set” in the Greek term “emphasizes an ongoing decision.” (NKJV Study Bible) Our lives should not be guided, influenced, or dictated by the world, but by disciplining ourselves to focus on eternal realities. William Barclay stresses, “Now the thoughts of the Christian must be set on the things which are above. He can no longer be concerned with the trivial passing things of earth; he must be totally concerned with the eternal verities of heaven.”
This is not escapism, nor is it otherworldliness. It is not a means to withdraw, but it is to involve ourselves as Christ would while we journey through this life. If we are to be “salt and light” we must have an eternal mindset. We must “view everything against the background of eternity and no longer live as if this world was all that mattered.”(Barclay)
We are to “mortify” or “put to death” (vs 5) those earthly, worldly passions that once captivated us. Put aside selfish ambition; put away worldly ambition and seek the things of Christ and His kingdom. Know that our standards of values have changed. I am reminded of the old song we used to sing in childrens’ church: “I tell you best thing I ever did do, I took off the old coat and put on the new…” (Johnson Oatman, Jr.)
We must change the priorities of our lives. Prioritize everything you do in the light of God’s Word, in the light of eternity. Some things are trivial, some are worthless, some are coarse, some probably are downright sinful. Look at your daily responsibilities and see them from God’s perspective. Your goals should reflect His agenda. How about your time, schedule, and purpose–does it reflect eternal values and work for the kingdom? Then to set our thoughts on things above we must know what they are, therefore, we need to study God’s Word. Yes, devotions are okay; it’s like eating a cookie for breakfast, but we must know the Word of God. Pray…pray not for selfish gain, but pray to know God, pray to develop a relationship. Pray as a means of conversation. Worship, ah how that term is thrown around. Worship should be a lifestyle. Later on in chapter 3 of Colossians we read that everything we do should be unto the Lord–that is worship. And that also means that it should be to the best of our ability, not “that’s good enough.” Finally, I would say, to be heavenly-minded is to share. It may be verbally, but much of our sharing, our witness, is not verbal but how we do our work. We are “living letters”, how do people read us? When we have conversations how much of it is about spiritual things? See, we are not to be spiritually illiterate. Another way we share is to give. Give of our finances, our time, our schedule, in other words we should be aware of the many ways in which we can give as unto the Lord.
How would people describe you? “Music is your life–Sports is your life–You live for your work. Such a man finds life and all that it means in music, in sport, in work, as the case may be. For the Christian, Christ is his life.” (Barclay) Barclay continues to say, “He judges everything in the light of the Cross and in the light of the love which gave itself for him. In the light of that Cross the world’s wealth and ambitions and activities are seen at their true value; and, the Christian is enabled to set his whole heart on the things which are above.”