Set your minds on things
above, not on earthly things.
Col. 3:2 (NIV)
I have always imagined that heaven is magical, peaceful,
beautiful – if boring – city in the clouds. There are the requisite mansions
for everyone, golden streets, and angels floating by on fluffy, white clouds.
And in the middle of everything, Jesus is on his beautiful, majestic throne
with piles and piles of crowns surrounding the Messiah. Millions of worshipers –
with their perfect bodies – sing to the King with their perfectly melodious
voices.
So, when I read in Colossians that we are to set our minds
on “things above”, I wonder if this is how I should be setting my mind each
day. Is this the key to avoiding anger, gossip, lying, and all the other daily
temptations? Does it work? How do I live in the here and now while my mind is
set on Heaven?
I don’t have the answers, but I do know that what I have
been doing is not working. Someone at bible study asked the question: would the
way we live change if Jesus were physically present. Yes, of course, we all
agree that if we could SEE Jesus at all times we would live a lot differently.
So, I am trying something new: a physical reminder of things above, of Heaven.
I’m wearing a necklace called Heaven (from Premier Designs). It has the key to Heaven, a door with a
keyhole, a crown of pearls on one side and multiple colored gemstones on the
other, one of the charms has a golden cross on one side and a golden road on
the other, and the last charm says “Rev. 21: 18-22”. This physical object that
I’m wearing is my way of reminding myself often to set my mind.
What do you think Heaven will be like? And, how do you “set
your mind”?
These are not rhetorical questions. I really
would like to know what others think and do.
Tough subject:
ReplyDeleteOften I wonder are streets 0f gold etc. a metaphor?
Casting our crowns,I do not think is literal obviously.
Jesus often spoke in parables. What I need is the gift of discernment.
My understanding is a new Heaven and a new Earth.....
An earth as it was designed to to be at creation, SINLESS .
Worship will be huge. Jesus will walk and talk with us as he did as a man. My thoughts are we will have jobs activities with the absence of Sin.
WOW this is such a huge concept to wrap our heads around.
I do not believe we can.
That is where faith comes in.
I am not trying to convince any one that I am correct.
Just what I think.
May the love of our SAVIOR cover us all.
You will never make progress with the Lord until you know what is going on, and why? I published a book in 2008 about this, and need to update it. You can purchase it on Amazon... http://www.amazon.com/Why-World-Are-We-Here/dp/1440407290/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1453303498&sr=8-3&keywords=Why+in+the+world+are+we+here
ReplyDeleteHeavenly things are the realities created by God's presence-his love, peace, and joy. They are also eternal things. Heavenly things are aspects of God's nature-and we(who have been born again) have become participants in God's nature because we have been given new hearts and cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus, made righteous.
ReplyDeleteEnvy, strife, jealousy, selfishness, etc, are earthly things. We must consider ourselves as dead to that old earthly nature, because we have died to it by faith in Christ's death. Then we consider ourselves alive as heavenly people, because of Jesus' resurrection. Being a heavenly person means having a new nature, the nature of Jesus, that loves like Jesus loves. It also means having the mind of Christ, thinking according to God's heavenly wisdom.