October 4, 2022

Passage Read: Colossians 3-4
Meditation Verses: 3:1-2

Thought

Paul gives a lot of commands in these two chapters, especially in this one. And these commands are not easy for people who like themselves and want great things in this life. These commands require humility and the surrender of self and self will. Any earthly ambition has to be given up. Any earthly demand has to be surrendered. So, interestingly, Paul starts with this command, to set our hearts and minds and hope fully on things above. Ordinary, everyday Christians are supposed to be more concerned about the things above than the things on earth. They should have their hope fully set on heaven, not on the things of this life and this earth. Only when we fully give up everything and anything we hope to gain from this life can we really be free to fulfill all the commands that follow.

Application

How I wish everything would be easy and smooth and trouble-free in this life, that everything went exactly as planned without problems or pain. But those are demands I make of my life, and they're unreasonable. As long as I expect and desire that, I'll continually be frustrated and angered. Any time things don't go my way, I'll be tempted to get upset. But if I give up my desire for such things and make my chief desire to honor and live for God, then I have to acknowledge that He has plans and purposes and training on this earth that He wants me to complete and to learn from. Everything that didn't go right is designed or commandeered for my training and good. God uses all of them to help me give up my hopes and dreams in this life and set my hopes and dreams in heaven.