EXPOSE | Seeking what we think
Heaven is not just a destination, but a mindset. Of Colossians 3:2 (“set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth”), J. B. Lightfoot, English theologian and Bishop of Durham (1800’s), states that we “must not only seek heaven; [we] must also think heaven.”
EXPLORE | The right mindset is a mind set on ‘things above’
I too often catch myself feeling as though my head is on a swivel.
There are so many things screaming for my attention, each sounding as though I should stop everything else and go investigate.
It’s feels a little like being in a scary movie, where verifying every little sound could be a matter of life and death. Is that really just a tree branch scraping against the roof, or, is that a giant spider about to break through the ceiling on top of me?
We’ve become, in one sense, necessarily aware of the many things going on around us that could potentially ‘get us’, but at the same time have become so fixated on what surrounds us that we’re just not able to gain or keep the right perspective on them.
Finding higher ground is crucial. It gives us the advantage of a broader view; how the different parts make up the whole, and even whether or not something truly matters.
Living here, in the ‘things below’, can make it pretty hard to keep our sights on ‘things above.’ But having the ‘things above’ perspective is what will help us navigate around and through what is swirling all around us.
J.B. Lightfoot’s comment helps us understand that to “think heaven” is like putting on special glasses that allow us to see what we would not otherwise see; seeing things for what they are–or are not.
“The Christian will see things, not as they appear to men, but as they appear to God.”
– William Barclay, Scottish author, radio and television presenter, Church of Scotland minister, and Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow
So gaining the advantage of higher ground is more about elevating our mind’s eye. As we set our minds on ‘things above’ we are able to put ‘things below’ into the right perspective.
By “setting our minds” as stated in Colossians 3:2, we are “directing our minds to a thing, to seek, to strive for.” Our gaze, or focus, is fixed on ‘things above’ and our hearts are committed to that perspective. A better way to see this mind/heart combination is in the King James rendering of this verse: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Being heavenly-minded is our heart’s desire.
However, this should in no way be understood as being either/or; that we are to set our minds on ‘things above’ or on ‘things below’. It is that we are to view, understand, interpret, and respond to ‘things below’ from a mind and heart fixed on ‘things above.’ This properly amends the familiar phrase to being “so heavenly-minded you are sooo earthly-good.”
EXECUTE | Keeping our minds set on things above
We do so much “earthly-good” by being “heavenly-minded.” Setting our minds on things above is like being the new hire. Our position, not tainted by the organization’s politics or the past–the way things have always been done–brings a much-needed, redemptive perspective. So, how can we keep our minds on ‘things above’?
Who’s running the show?
As much as we like to think we’re in charge, reality quickly dismisses any possibility of that being true. Isaiah 46:9b-11 states this quite clearly: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me… I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” We do well to remember and help others see, that God is in charge and will accomplish what He pleases.
How does God see things?
Merriam-Webster defines perspective as, “the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.” In other words, are we seeing things the way that God sees them? Do we regard those things with the same significance as He does? Keeping our minds on things above keeps us from being distracted by what is meaningless, by prioritizing those things that are most meaningful.
Picture heaven
If we want to have and keep a heavenly perspective, we should have a good picture of heaven in mind. For instance, there will one day no longer be a need for the sun or the moon because, as Revelation 21:23 describes, “…the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” God will make all things new, all things right. That is where we are headed. It is both the basis for our hope, but also the motivation in our bringing to bear a “mind set on things above.”
Think on these things
In her article, 25 Ways to Set Our Minds on Things Above, Natalie Regoli points to “Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 4:8 that teaches us to be very selective with what should occupy our thoughts.” A great way to think on ‘things above’ is to sift them through whatever is: true, honest, just, pure, lovely, admirable, virtuous, or worthy of praise. She says, “if something doesn’t fit any of these categories, we should not allow it into our thought life.”
I have been reading Randy Alcorn’s book 90 Days of God’s Goodness. As you might expect, he reveals the detriment of our “earthly-minded” view of evil and suffering. It is only through keeping our minds on things above that we can begin to understand that God has a purpose in every moment, of every day, and the manner in which He chooses to accomplish what He desires.
Our handling ‘things below’ with a mind set on ‘things above,’ are just what this world needs.
Keep your head up.
___
Further reading:
Ways to set your mind on things above
Ways to keep a heavenly perspective
10 beautiful descriptions of heaven from the Bible
Ways to set your mind on things above
