Jump Start # 1726

Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”

  Our passage today reminds us of the importance of our mind. There is a battle going on for your mind. The one that wins the battle, eventually will win the war. Our attitudes, our behavior, our goals, our values and our perspective are all shaped and defined by our mind. The carnal man, as Paul referred to the Corinthians as, has his mind set on the things of the world. He is material in his thinking. He sees the same thing that the spiritual man does, but he goes no deeper than the surface and the obvious. He doesn’t think about influence, consequences and the future. His decisions are based upon what he feels like doing.

The spiritually minded man is thinking about God, Heaven and the course that God wants him to pursue. He measures what he says before he says it. He thinks about how his actions will affect others. He looks at the big picture and goes out of his way to be a positive influence in his words, decisions and attitudes.

Some are spiritually minded and others are purely worldly minded. Why is it that way? Our verse explains. It comes down to the word “set” or “be intent.” It’s a choice. The spiritually minded man could easily be solely worldly, but he chooses not to be that way. He has made choices that now affects everything about him.

Notice how this spiritual mindset is found throughout the N.T.

• Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom 12:2)
• Have this mind in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5)
• Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good repute, dwell on these things (Phil 4:8)
• Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt 6:33)
• Senses trained to discern good and evil (Heb 5:14)

Control the mind and you will find other things falling into the right place. It may be that too often we focus upon the external problems and never realize that the cause is a mind that is not set on the things above. A person can apologize for saying improper or hurtful things, but unless he changes his thinking, he’s bound to do it again. The same goes for immoral living. A person can apologize and even promise never to do it again, but they will, unless they change their thinking. A material man is bound to keep messing up and breaking the laws of God. A material man doesn’t think spiritual. He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t see it. And until he does, he will continually make the wrong choices.

The prodigal finally came to his senses. For the first time, maybe the first time ever, a spiritual light bulb came on inside of him. He realized that his life was a mess. There was no one to blame but himself. He realized that he didn’t have to continue living this way. He remembered. He remembered what his father was like. Any hope and any promise of a better future meant apologizing to his father and coming home. He had to get up and come home. The spiritual mind was beginning to work. He set his sights on home. In this same way, a material man today begins his spiritual journey.

The first steps are painful and filled with sorrow and guilt. A person realizes that they messed up. They come to realize that they have sinned. There is no need to point fingers. No one made them do what they did. It was their dumb and wrong choices that got them there. How they wish that they could do things over again. Some of these choices have hurt other people. Things were said that should never have been spoken. Choices were made that were not thought out. And now the consequences come caving in on the material man. For the prodigal, it was looking at pig food and wanting that to eat. For others, it may be sitting in the back seat of a police car. It may be the loss of a job. It may be your mate who tells you to go somewhere else. It may be getting expelled from school. Now the world comes crashing in on you. Why did I do those dumb things? Why wasn’t I thinking? The answer is obvious. You did not have your mind set on things above. You were material in your choices. You did what you wanted to without any thought to your family, your God and your future. What a painful realization this is when it finally hits a person.

The next step is much easier. Turn to God. Do what God has always said. For some, it’s putting on Christ in baptism and walking in righteousness. For others, who did this long ago, but forgot, it’s a matter of getting back to where you need to be.

Spiritually minded—the person is more concerned with the inside than the outside. He is careful about what he feeds his heart and soul. He will take a long look at music, literature, movies and even friends. He knows those things can influence, shape and even alter the direction a person may be going. He will fill his heart with spiritual things such as worship, reading God’s word and prayer. He will surround himself with righteous people who are spiritually minded. He finds in a very short time that his perspective, his values and even what he likes becomes shaped by the spiritual. He longs to see God’s kingdom grow. He sees the value of helping others find what he has found. He longs to be with God.

As the outer man decays, the inner man is being renewed day by day. His body and mind are going different directions. That doesn’t bother him. He is not discouraged. Paul’s words from 2 Cor 4, “We do not lose heart.” He wants to be with God. Even death is viewed differently for the spiritual man. It’s an advantage, because he will be with the Lord and he will be finished with the struggles here.

Set your mind on things above—that’s our passage. That’s our choice. That’s our calling. No one can do it for you. But whether you do it or not, the outcome will  be obvious. The material man and the spiritual man are moving in different directions.

What are you thinking about? What have you set your mind on? What is your focus point? Where are you headed? What do you have your eyes set on? Is it the things above or the things right before us?

Spiritually minded or materially minded? Your choice, but what a choice it is.

Roger