Colossians 3:2 commands us: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” “Set your mind” here is the Greek word “phroneo”, which refers to “the inward parts around the heart” (Thayer) and refers to our thinking. It is a command to God’s people to think about the things above. But how can we fulfill this command to think about those things?

— First we must consider what we really know about “the things above.” We are not merely to sit around and speculate about it. We are not to rely upon the fanciful visions of 4-year-olds. We are to learn about the things above from the word of God. We should memorize and constantly meditate on these scriptures, purposefully “thinking about” what the Bible teaches us about our heavenly home.

— A very revealing phrase about “the things above” is found in :1, where it calls it: “where Christ is.” We should want to be above because that is where HE is! It is not just “the place”, but the PERSON which is to be so appealing to us! In any good relationship, it doesn’t matter where you are, if you are with the person you love! It is CHRIST who makes heaven, heaven. It is because CHRIST is above, that our thoughts are to be there. Our thoughts are to be of HIM!

This verse should be challenging and convicting to us. How much are our thoughts on Christ above? Too often, our thoughts are exactly where this verse says they ought NOT to be: on “the things of the earth”!

But the verb here is an imperative. God COMMANDS us to think about the things above. The good news is, if God is commanding it, then He will give us the power to do it. We ARE able to control our thoughts. With His Spirit’s help, you CAN shift, shape, and direct them, or He would not have commanded you to do it. Ask Him to help you today, to “set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”