Set your minds on things above

Many passages in the Scriptures speak to us in a way that makes us understand that even though we are in the world we are not of this world. That is why we must understand that we can not think that eternity is lived when we go to heaven, rather, eternity begins to live from the moment we are in Christ.

Life really is very short, heaven is very high, hell is very deep, and spending an eternity with God determines many things while we are here on earth. This life should only be seen as an rehearsal, worship God, sing praises, these things are simply a rehearsal of what we will do for eternity of eternities, and that is why we should not conform to this world, but renew our thoughts every day through the Word of God.

The apostle Paul wrote:

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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

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

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

When Christ brings us to Him, then we are resurrected together with Him, resurrected from the spiritual death in which we found ourselves, and now that we are in Christ we live in a completely different way than we used to live.

Paul tells us in the first verse of this chapter: “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God”. But, just in case we did not understand verse number one, the apostle continues to emphasize this and says in verse 2: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”. And this must be the feeling of every Christian in this world, that we should live in this world as if we did not belong to it, and all this because our citizen is heavenly.

Dear brothers, one day we will dwell with Christ for an eternity and that eternity begins now.

Understanding this truth changes the way we walk, the way we think, and even the way we face trials. When our eyes are placed on eternal things, the temporary pressures of life lose power over us. The believer who meditates daily on eternity learns to value what truly matters: holiness, obedience, the fear of the Lord, and communion with Christ. This makes our decisions wiser and our lives more aligned with God’s perfect will.

If eternity begins now, then our hearts must be trained to love what God loves and reject what distances us from Him. The world offers temporary pleasures, but the Bible teaches us that they pass quickly. The things above, instead, remain forever. Walking with our minds set on Christ allows us to persevere even when the world becomes hostile toward our faith. We must remember that we are pilgrims on this earth and that our true homeland is the heavenly kingdom prepared for those who love God.

Every day the Christian must make the conscious decision to lift his eyes toward heaven. Prayer, worship, and Scripture reading help us cultivate this eternal mindset. The more we seek the things above, the more we are transformed into the image of Christ. This transformation is not instantaneous; it is a process that continues until the day we see the Lord face to face. But while we are here, we shine as lights in the midst of a world that has forgotten eternity.

Therefore, let us walk with conviction, knowing that our life is hidden with Christ. Let us remember that when Christ appears, we will appear with Him in glory. That glory is not a distant dream; it is a promise that shapes our present. Eternity is not only our destination, it is our reality, and living with this awareness gives us strength, purpose, and hope in every season of life.