It’s the morning before the night before the night before Christmas (yes, I wrote that, think about it and deal with it!), and I can't really focus on Christmas. All I can think about is heaven. My study through the Bible in a year is coming to a close tomorrow, and Revelation is still fresh in my mind. I can imagine, to the small degree my finite brain can handle such wonderful knowledge, being in the presence of God. Living with Him forever. Being perfected in His presence. Being fruitful, and multiplying His goodness in to all the earth, forever. Wow. Come to think of it, I can’t really imagine it at all. It is so beyond me, too wonderful, too powerful, to perfect for me to think of, and yet I anticipate the day when no more tears, no more sorrow, and we will be with Jesus forever.
We’re told to set our minds on things above. Do you? Is your mind set on things above, where Jesus is? Or do you let circumstances, people, earthly situations, politics, and other things cloud your vision, or obstruct it completely? This world is temporary. The situations and people in them are temporary. Jesus is forever. Shouldn’t our focus, our actions, our intentions and purposes be geared toward forever? Shouldn’t we be doing all we can to live, now, like we will be in eternity? Circumstances change. Life is temporary. Set your mind on things above, where Jesus is.
Colossians 3:1-17
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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