Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2 (NKJV)
To set your mind on something speaks of mental discipline. It means to keep one’s thoughts habitually focused on the subject matter or to say it another way, to think about the subject matter it all the time. When your thoughts drift, they should drift back to that subject matter.
According to Colossians 3:2, the subject matter that we, as believers, should be focused on is “things above” or in other words, heavenly things–things of God, things of eternity.
What might some of those things be?
- Eternal Life with God We should be thinking now about what life with God in eternity will be like, e.g. that He’ll dry every tear. There’ll be no more sorrow. In eternity, we will have perfect knowledge of God–nothing will be hidden. Sin will no longer be a problem. We’ll have our glorified bodies. Life will be as it was intended by God. His Kingdom will have come and His will be done. Thinking on these things will help us to be sustained when challenges and difficulties, illnesses and failed relationships plague us here, in the realm of now.
- The throne room of God (Revelation 4-5). We should be thinking about what we know about the heavenly realm, namely what we have been told in scriptures. For example, we’ll be there in the throne room, witnessing the things described in John’s prophetic vision in the Book of Revelation. The angels will be around the throne of God. Worship of the Almighty will never end.
So take heart, this world is passing away. We are just pilgrims here. One day, we shall be in heaven. Let’s set our minds on that.