Scripture of the day
Colossians 3:1 - Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
The next verse in Colossians (v2) puts the scripture of the day into perfect context by saying, "Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth."
This has been a battle within me most of my Christian life. And part of it may stem from the various jobs I've had in the past. The majority of my career has been in marketing.
Marketing has taught me to focus on the things of earth. When selling a product, my job was to create excitement about why a customer needs to have it now (here on earth).
The struggle I had was that I knew deep down inside of me that anything I'm promoting really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I mean, my job matters in that I needed money to pay bills and eat but marketing, as much as I enjoy that field, often tugged at my soul.
The struggle also starts when one becomes a Christian. You can't help but feel like you're waivering back and forth. Before I was a Christian, I never had that struggle within me. The world was at my fingertips and simply a place to conquer.
Now as a Christian, I see the other side of the coin. I am fully human while here on earth, yet I now have this strong feeling that this place is no longer my home. But now at times I feel trapped in my old worldly body, longing for Christ to take me home.
Yes, I have moments of weakness when I see a beautiful house or a cool looking vehicle. I start to want these things that I know will never satisfy me until I'm home in heaven.
I kind of feel like my dog does when we leave the house. I know she's sad and doesn't feel at peace until we return to pick her up in our arms. When we're all together, she feels like everything is now perfect.
I won't feel that way until I return home with Jesus and the Father up in Heaven. Until that time, what am I to do?
I need to continually put my focus on the things of heaven, not the things of earth. I have a new life in Christ and I need to focus on living that way. I need to focus on the realities of Heaven.
Heavenly Father, I long to be with you in Heaven. May I not be distracted by the things of this earth but focused on what lies ahead. As I continue to walk this earth, I pray for opportunities to tell others about you and the wonderful place you have prepared for us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
