Seeking Things that Are Above
“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3, NASB)
Ask any mom with little ones: one of the worst places for a kid to cry inconsolably is church. Recently, Lily chose the prayer part of church service to throw a stunning temper tantrum. She was ripe for a nap and wanted to fight it the whole way. I took her out of service and into a stairwell, trying to calm her. Unfortunately, whole minutes passed, and I could not get her to stop. I tried it all– hushing, singing, bouncing– nothing worked.
I knew the whole congregation could hear her screaming, and I knew it was probably a huge test of Sam’s concentration to pray and preach through this epic meltdown Lily was having.
Finally, out of desperation, I looked up and said, “Jesus! Help Lily. Help her to sleep, to stop crying, and give her rest!”
Immediately, Lily stopped crying. She was caught off guard that my attention wasn’t on her anymore. She started looking around, almost as if she expected someone to be standing over her shoulder for me to be talking to them. But she was quiet, so I kept praying out loud. After a few minutes, I looked down, and Lily was asleep.
Her entire attitude and disposition was changed because of prayer. Whether it was supernatural, or just being distracted enough to give in to a nap, or a mixture of both– that prayer stopped Lily’s fit and gave her peace. And I won’t lie, I’ve used it several more times since.
But how many times do we do the same thing? Today alone, I can think of three or four times where I did; until finally, I walked out the door and took a walk around the block, praying the whole way. And by the end, I came home with my mind on Christ and my heart in a better place.
It should be this way for all Christians– we should daily look to seek things that are above, things that are of the Lord. We should always be looking to push our faith forward in the name of Jesus. If we believe that Christ came in the flesh, lived amongst men, was crucified, buried, and rose again, then we have also been raised with Christ as Paul says. We have been redeemed by Christ’s work from our sin. Because of His sacrifice and grace, we have been raised from death, which was the price of our rebellion against God. And now that we know God’s grace and Jesus’ redemption, we now can live a life where we seek things that are above, where Christ Himself is.
In our sin, we are like Lily in the middle of her tantrum; we are set in our ways and determined to dwell on our miseries. Only God has the power to distract us, capture our attention, and change us. Only His Holy Spirit can convene in such a way that we can let go of those things that distract us long enough so we can redirect our emotions, our thoughts, and our mindset.
How do we seek? How do we set our minds on things above, instead of our worries and sinful proclivities? Paul gives us a good clue. We hide our lives in Christ. We seek Him in the way that we’ve been discussing throughout our study of Proverbs. Go back, read Proverbs 1:1-7. In putting our minds on Godly, righteous things, we become engrossed in them. In reading God’s Word, we come to find a deeper desire to study and meditate on it. In talking to God through prayer, we devote time to pondering His goodness and sovereignty in a way that makes us reverent of Him.
Eventually, we come to find that our worship is evermore focused and devoted to God and like a musical instrument, we become better tuned in our adoration of Him. The better hidden we are in His holiness, the more effective we become at not only worshipping Him, but in also living a life that is a witness to others of the greatness and love of our God.
In truth, He didn’t have to do anything for us. He could have left us small, hopeless, and screaming– incurably lost in our sin. But God, in His lovingkindness, made a way for us to be comforted and quieted by His grace. He made a way for us to be soothed and reassured, just like Lily, so we could enjoy the rest and peace that is His person and presence.
Christ, being seated at the right hand of the Father, also holds us in His hand, raising us from death to life. What a Savior, what a Mediator!
So let’s not see our devotion towards Him as an obligation. Let’s not see the necessary seeking asked of us as followers of Christ as a chore. Instead, see it as a gift and a privilege, because indeed, it is. It is a deep and unfathomable honor to be able to pursue a God who loves us so much.
As a mother, I am reminded that God has given me rich blessings and an important role in pointing my children down a path that seeks the things of God. As a wife, I am humbled by the fact that in my pursuit of Christ, I can further sanctify and encourage my husband to do the same. And as a woman, I am renewed in my resolve to be someone who is after the heart of God. I am encouraged that Jesus is alongside me, even on those frustrated walks around the block, helping me to confront my sin and fix my eyes on Him, no matter where the courses of life take me.
