Dead Man Walking

Today's Reading: Colossians 3

Scripture:

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." Colossians 3:1-2

Observation:

Setting my sights on the things of heaven means more than just thinking about the life that comes after this one. Setting my sights on heaven means that I allow the truth of God's word to transform the way I live my life on earth. It means that the work of Christ in me produces something that is distinct from what the world produces.

Application:

Three things that I need to consider this morning. First, I am a dead man. The plain and simple truth of verse 3 is that when I accepted Christ I agreed to die to myself. There are a couple things I need to keep in mind regarding dead men: they have no rights, they have no fears, and they have nothing left to lose.

The second is my behavior. Paul, in verses 5-8, lays out two sets of behavioral things for me to apply. The first one speaks to impure pursuits and protects me from moral failures. The second speaks to my attitude in relationships and protects me from becoming a pompous, arrogant, condemning, religious jerk.

The third are my roles in life. Verses 18-25 speak to this and do so in manner that does not allow me much room to wiggle. Paul makes the priority clear by instructing me to love my wife first, my kids second and my work third. He also makes it clear that in all these roles I should behave in a manner that honors the name of my Savior by sincerely giving my heart to their betterment; even when it hurts to do so.

Prayer:

Father there is still a lot of life and pride left in me. I read this passage and I find myself tempted to respond with "yea, but what about this and what about that."

This is not an easy teaching. It is crazy hard to figure out how to maintain my drive and ambition and yet not pursue my own deal. It is flippin tough to do the right thing and have people run me over and pass me by. This process of dying to myself is grueling, painful and confusing. I am completely unable to do it on my own and there is absolutely no way I can do it if what I get from my relationship with You is not all that You desire it to be.

All that said, I also know that seeking my own gain is no good either. I have walked that path and found it to be more than empty. From where I am, as best I can; I confess to You today that I desire You above all things. My life is Yours and I pray that You do with it as You will. In doing this, I trust that You will provide for all my needs and supply to me a joy that is beyond anything I could ever achieve on my own.