So it comes down to this...

So it comes down to this...

Have you ever stopped to consider what life has to come to for you in order for God to fully get your attention and hold it longer than two minutes? Some would recount a terrible occurrence in their lives, like that last drink that found them turned upside down, wheels spinning in the air, barely missing death's blow by seconds. Others would tell of the horrible diagnosis of some life-altering disease that made them take notice of what had been neglected in their lives to such a degree that life's little things finally mattered so little. There will be countless others who will say they had no idea a pandemic could bring life to a halt, crumble the economy, change the way we shop, or reveal such a lack of peace in their lives. What will it come down to in our lives to allow us to see that life slips right on by if we don't stop and take notice? What will help us to see there is no other thing that belongs at the center of our lives other than Christ himself? 

So it comes down to this: since you have been raised with the Anointed One, the Liberating King, set your mind on heaven above. The Anointed is there, seated at God’s right hand. Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, because your old life is dead and gone. Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed who is in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Since you have - now you need to...

These are words of instruction, not of advice. We have already received so very much in Christ Jesus, but we may not be putting those things into full action within our lives. It seems there is a little bit of a disconnect between receiving and using. We like the things we'd label as 'blessings' in our lives, but when those 'blessings' get interrupted by the 'not so blessed' stuff, how many of us find ourselves complaining that the blessing seems to be gone? If our focus is on the blessing and not on the one who gives the blessing, we will soon find we grow discontent with the blessing, or complain bitterly when their is any interruption in it! Keeping our focus on the one who is the giver of all blessings ensures we have the right perception of all things.

Focus on what's above, not below...

I could focus on the condition of my retirement savings right now, but it would make me rather depressed to look at the losses in the market. I could focus on the continuous news reports of doom and gloom, but what would that do to my frame of mind? Rather than focusing on all that is wrong, I will choose to do as the words of the song say, "The weapon may be formed, but it won't prosper...", by Elevation Worship (Song: See A Victory). There is power in changing our focus - but it is an active choice to no longer be so consumed or intimidated by what we see around us. We must choose to look beyond what we see in the 'natural' sense and trust what we don't see in the 'spiritual realms'. 

The old is dead and gone...

What is dead and gone is usually no longer part of our lives - we discard or put it away, right? The flowers that wilt and die in the vase, they have served their purpose and we discard them. The carcass from the chicken is left after we have picked the meat away, and we may boil it to get whatever broth might be garnered, but when that is done we discard the bones. The dryer sheet goes around a couple of times in loads of laundry, but eventually there is nothing of value in the sheet, so we discard it and start afresh. The dead serves to clutter, complicate, and challenge our lives. We have to let go of what is dead and gone - finding new life as soon as we do! This is the amazing thing about having our focus on Christ - there is always something 'fresh' in him. Just sayin!