Where are our Thoughts?
Where Are Our Thoughts?
Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of this earth. Colossians 3:2
In the times we live in, it is so important to keep a positive attitude. To stay mentally strong. If we keep focused on the news, latest stats, and social media, it is so easy to fall into a depressive state. We must find a way to keep from falling into that dark hole.
Paul gives a little guidance on how we can achieve this. In his letter to the Colossians, he tells them to think about Heaven - things of eternity - rather than thinking about this world.
So first, we must familiarize ourselves with the things of Heaven. You can find this in reading your Bible and seeing what God’s Word says about eternity. Also, you can read some other books that will help shape those thoughts. I have enjoyed Heaven by Randy Alcorn and The Real Heaven by Chip Ingram.
Get excited about where you are going to spend all of eternity. It’s like when you are a planning a big trip, you do research, you tell everyone you know all about it, you can’t stop thinking about it. Heaven will be better than any vacation here on earth so let’s get “big vacation” excited about God’s dwelling place!
Not only are we to think about Heaven but to be actively thinking about and working towards all we have to gain there…rather than focusing on all we have to lose here on earth. Surrender and sacrifice are only good terms when you can see that what we have to gain is much greater than what we have to lose. Even in life and death, losing our life is not a negative sacrifice because what we have to gain in eternity is so much greater than anything this life has to offer.
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18
The Greek word for “see” in this passage can also be “perceive.”
Perceive means “to become aware or conscious of something, coming to realize or understand.”
I think that really opens this passage up. We do not look at the troubles we currently cannot understand, rather we fix our gaze upon things we do not realize yet. For the things we now do not understand will soon be gone, but the things we are not even aware or conscious of will be the things that will last forever.
There is no way we can fully understand what is happening now, we can’t see what God is doing but we know He is at work.
We might be able to look back on these days and see how He was moving, or it might be when we get to Heaven that we will see the full picture. But, until then, we will set out gaze upon those things we can’t see, upon the things of eternity.
“Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of this earth.”
Focus on what God is doing, how He is answering prayers.
Find ways to memorize Scripture…write it out daily, listen to songs that contain passages from the Bible, meditate on it, and pray those passages.
Make a daily habit of filling your mind with the things of Heaven rather than filling it with all the junk of this earth.
Take break from the media and dive into God’s Word. Replace all those negative thoughts and anxious feelings with a peace that only comes from above.
