The book of Colossians in the Bible began life as a letter from a church planter, the Apostle Paul, to a group of believers living in Colossae, in what we know now as southern Turkey. It has since been divided into chapters so we can better reference parts of it.
At the end of the second chapter, Paul talks about how believers have died with Christ, meaning we have sacrificed our self-worship to instead worship God and be made right with Him through Jesus. He asks the believers why they are following the rules of the world when they have been set free from them.
Chapter 3 follows up the comparison with Christ, reminding us that not only have we died (spiritually) with Jesus, we are raised to new life with Him, and explains what it means to live that new life.
We’re prone to see what is around us and believe that it is reality. That’s all there is. The truth is, the reality for believers is above us. Beyond us. We live our lives as though death is the end, when for the believer, death here is just the beginning. Heaven is real. It is beautiful. Even without streets of gold, gates of pearl, and a crystal sea, it is beautiful because God is the center of it. His presence makes it beautiful.
Hear me: I am NOT advocating choosing death to achieve heaven. That’s not God’s plan. He has things for you to do while you’re here and He expects you to accomplish them. He has your days planned out and numbered. Use each one to the fullest extent and live!
Paul tells us to set our sights on Heaven. That term generally means AIM.
When navigating, keeping our sights on our destination is what guides us to that place. If we keep our sights on Heaven, we move and work in that direction, not going off on dead ends and paths of destruction.
He adds that Heaven is that place where Jesus sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. I think he knew we would become enamored of the gold and gems and miss the true beauty of Heaven. That we might forget that Jesus is more than the Way to Heaven, He is the authority of it.
Let’s choose today to recognize Jesus as God our Savior, as the Honored One seated with the Father in the very real Heaven, and let’s set our course to reach that place, living life here to the fullest while we travel through to the place where our Savior lives.
A few extra thoughts…
I do not remember who originated the saying that whatever we aim at, we will hit. The concept being that whatever our focus is on, whatever we’re aiming at, wherever our direction is headed, we will get there. If we aim at good things, at success, at achievements, and we work toward those, we will get those. But if we aim at, if we believe in, if we speak about, our failure… same thing. We’ll get it.
We need to set our sights on the realities of heaven. The realities of heaven are that it is real. It is a real place. And it is the place where God lives. I won’t say it’s the place where God reigns, because he reigns over everything–heaven and earth, and all the solar system and all the planets and all… everything. But to think about that place that we will live after we’re done living here–can you imagine what it will be like to be able to just walk up and talk with Jesus? Hmm. Imagine what it’s like to sit with Matthew and John and James and Peter and the others who walked with him while he was on the earth. Imagine not ever having darkness, because he is the light. Imagine.
Imagine–the reality is, through Christ, we get to live there. Through Christ, through salvation in him. We have that reality to aim for. We’re driving toward that destination.
Think about what that means. Let it permeate your brain, let it enter your heart. And if need be, let it change behaviors. Let it change thought processes.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
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