Where you focus on in life is where you end up! The same is true for what you give attention to, will attend to you! If you focus on negativity, negativity will be evident all around you! If you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness, this will be more evident in your life!
The Apostle Paul tells us to set our minds on the things above.
“Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life,
sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things],
not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].”
Colossians 3:1-2 AMP
In other words what he was saying was, don’t be moved by what you see or hear in the natural, social media, news, hey even those that like spreading “news”, the wrong kind – gossip and negativity.
There is a truth he tries to highlight to us, in verse 1, that you and I have been raised with Christ to a new life. In other words, we are of a different Kingdom and operate from a different realm.
“Identification in Christ to the death of your past, releases power for your present!” – Shaun Smit
In verse 2 the scripture encourages us to set our minds and keep focused habitually on heavenly things or kingdom matters.
To set your mind means to exercise the mind, to be (mentally) inclined in a certain direction and to interest oneself in a specific thing. (Kingdom things).
To be focused habitually is talking about paying a great deal of attention to something and allowing it to become a habit.
To paraphrase this or put it simply, “We are to create a habit, paying a great deal of attention to this new life we live in Christ seeking out His Kingdom, His ways, His principles and His will in all things.”
“What you focus your thoughts and attention on is important to God!”
I love the Message translation regarding the below scripture.
“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.
Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground,
absorbed with the things right in front of you.
Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—
that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
Colossians 3:1-2 MSG
I love it – “Act like it.” If we are truly raised with Christ to a new life, we are to act like it, think like it, respond like it and speak like it.
The problem is we are living in a world of confusion, distractions, fear, negativity and uncertainty. If we lend our attention and ears to this it will create fear, doubt, hopelessness and so on…
“Part time Christians can’t defeat full time demons”
Always remember, as intelligent as we may think we are, as experienced in a matter we think we are, God’s ways are still higher than ours. There is an invitation to an abundant life, however it will cost us. It will cost the way you see, think, respond and where you focus your attention to.
Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you — The sure mercies of David.
Isaiah 55:3 NKJV
To incline means to; tilt towards or angle towards. We see God encouraging us throughout His Word to do this.
(“Set upon things Above!” – Col 3, “Seek 1st Kingdom” – Matt 6.)
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8 NKJV
God’s thoughts (Intentions, Plans, Imagination and Purposes) are far beyond ours. He always has solutions, ideas and better ways of doing things than you and I can think of. Most of the world’s problems would disappear if the world sought the Lord and His thoughts on matters.
The Church and God’s people should do the same. Then we can truly pray prayers like “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done”.
Remember, It’s all about His Kingdom, His Will, His Ways, and His Plans. This applies to all areas of life. In our marriages, churches, politics, education, media, economies, arts and culture. If we as a believer would be a people that learn to set our minds on heavenly things first, we would avoid, strife, gossip, arguments, discord, division and we would be a people that build up the body in unity, be a people that the world would look to for solutions. This starts in your world and your realm of influence.
Remember the key is, we must develop a hunger and thirst for things of God, desire to seek first His Kingdom and intentionally set our hearts and minds on things above.