Swimming Upstream

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

set your hearts on things above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

I awoke with the memory of a strange, disjointed dream plaguing my mind.  As I lay in bed, allowing myself to become fully awake, my thoughts turned to things I needed to do, then to people I needed to see and what I should say when I see them.  Trivial things.  A still small Voice beckoned me but my thoughts distracted from His call.

As a child of God, I belong with Him in my heavenly home, but I temporarily live down here in the world.   The good news is that I am still able to enjoy a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  The bad news is that I am encircled by all sorts of things that distract my heart and mind from Him. 

Herein lies the struggle of every follower of Christ; how to live in the world yet keep focused on my Savior.

My Heart

Jesus teaches that, “Where (my) treasure is, there (my) heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)  There are many things I treasure on this earth: my marriage, my family, my friendships, my hobbies, my pets, my writing to name a few.  If I ask myself if I treasure my relationship with Jesus, I hesitate.  Yes, He is important to me.  Yes, I value His redemptive work on the cross.  Yes, my life depends on Him.  But do I treasure Him and my bond to Him?

Sometimes I’m afraid my attitude is more of a casual friend who comes and goes instead of a devoted disciple whose very existence depends on His grace.  Maybe I’m too cavalier in my position as His follower.  If I truly treasured Him, wouldn’t my heart be inclined toward Him at all times?  Wouldn’t I wake up desiring nothing more than to converse with My Savior?

If Christ is my greatest treasure, then the world and all it’s distractions and influences will fade away and my heart will dwell with Him.

My Mind

The greatest battlefield in my walk with Christ resides in my mind.  My thoughts consistently fall to insignificant yet urgent tasks to be done, problems to be worked out or past events to be analyzed.  I am highly distracted from the heavenly by the earthly!

Isaiah recorded a praise in chapter 26 verses 3 and 4 that shows the importance of keeping my mind on the Lord.  He sang praises to God, saying, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” 

A steadfast mind is one which does not waver or falter, but is persistently trained on God.  And a mind concentrated on the Lord is showing faith in Him.  It follows, then, that when I am distracted from keeping my mind on things above, I am not trusting God with my life.  Instead, I am trusting myself and have become my own savior.

If I make the effort to direct my attention toward God in my thoughts, the battle in my mind will be won.  I must remember, however, that this is an ongoing battle.  I cannot let my guard down, but must constantly train like an athlete in controlling my thought life. 

I am Dead

Without Christ as my Savior, my life belongs to me.  But since I have professed Him as my Lord, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)   As a follower of Christ, all claims I have to myself are to be surrendered to Him.

The thing is, there are many things to which I cling.  I desire to be in control, dictating my own plans.  I prefer to work out my own problems instead of turning to God first in all things.  I want to take credit for all the good things that happen, choosing to mark it up to my own hard work instead of the grace of the One who created me and keeps all things flowing.

If I surrender each desire as it hits me, Christ will be the one who is seen by those around me and God will be glorified.

Following Christ is hard work.  I cannot float along, letting the current take me wherever it goes.  Instead, I must sturdily paddle upstream toward Jesus, treasuring Him, waging war in the battlefield of my mind, and constantly turning over my natural inclinations so that He can reign in my life.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that this day, I will treasure Jesus.

How do I put other things or people above Jesus?

What area of my thought life demands the most attention?