How To Set Your Affections On Things Above | Colossians 3:1-2.
- Karen O'Reilly
- Sep 13, 2023
- 5 min read
Welcome to Day 29. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Colossians 3:1-2.
Read Colossians 3:1-2.
Colossians 3:2 KJV.
It is easier to understand Colossians 3:1-2 when you read it in the New King James translation but for me, verse 2 takes on a deeper application of this verse when you read it in the King James translation. I just love how it reads, "set your affection on things above"!
It's all about falling in love with Jesus and walking in His ways. Colossians 3:1-2 fits perfectly into our Bible verses about seeking God portion of our devotional Bible study about practicing the presence of God.
What does Colossians 3:1-2 mean?
The apostle Paul is speaking to the church in the city of Colossae. He had addressed in the previous chapters of Colossians a popular false teaching that undermined the sufficiency and Lordship of Christ. Now in chapter 3, Paul is encouraging the followers of Christ in Colossae and us that if we have surrendered our lives to Christ and believe that He is the way, the truth, and the life, then their goal was to live with an eternal perspective rather than focus on the rules and regulations of this world. Another way to say this is to pursue the things of God and not dwell on earthly pursuits that don't bring the supernatural peace of God.
Freedom in Christ comes when you renew your mind with the words of Christ, replacing the words that the world speaks over you. You were raised with Christ, so set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.
Join me below for a short devotional on how to set your affections on things above. And join me in prayer too at the end of this post!
Short Devotional: How To Set Your Affections On Things Above
What does it mean to set your affection on things above?
Do you find that when you focus on the world around you, especially the world news your heart gets filled with stress?
Do you also find that when you are distressed and you read a particular Bible verse or portion of scripture you can feel that stress begin to leave your body?
That is the first benefit that I think of when considering practicing the presence of God. When you make it a discipline to practice His presence and to actively set your mind on things above, you will feel a reduction of stress, and maybe you will also gain new clarity on whatever situation you are in.
Set your affection on things above
So how do you set your mind on things above?
Have you read the very first post in this series on Practicing the presence of God, yet?
We talked about a wonderful man of God called Brother Lawerence. You can read his story here.
Brother Lawerence was a soldier quite a few years ago. He actually died in 1691. He discovered an ache in his heart that led him to seek God, morning, noon, and night!
In his pursuit to set his affection on things above, he became a monk. He led a simple prayerful life that impacted people around him and many millions of people since then. A friend of his recorded all that Brother Lawerence taught about practicing the presence of God and published a book that changed my life and I'm sure it will change yours.
One of the ways that Brother Lawerence was able to set his heart on things above, was to invite God into everything that he did, even the mundane things like washing dishes! He just constantly chatted with God throughout his day.
Fix your eyes on things above
The apostle Paul reminds us to fix our eyes on things above and not on our present circumstances. He encourages us to get a heavenly perspective, to purposely set our minds on spiritual things. You become what you think about. So become heavenly-minded.
What happens when you fix your eyes on things above or when you set your affections on things above?
Your anxiety reduces because you remember that you are fixing your eyes on the Big God, who with one word spoke the whole earth into existence. God Will Keep You In Perfect Peace, Isaiah 26:3.
Keep God's word active in your life. We are told in Colossians 3:16 to let the word of God dwell in you richly.
As you prayerfully read scripture and meditate on it, you will learn that God is a restorer. He can restore the painful, hurting parts of your life.
You will discover all that God has created you to be. You will learn that God has a plan and a purpose for you in this messy world and that you are vital to the people around you.
You will grow strong in your faith as you realize who God says you are. You can read a whole list of bible verses on who you are in Christ HERE.
Remember that God is full of wisdom that He desires for you to seek. Trust Him and seek His wisdom in all your circumstances.
And lastly, don't forget that wonderful promise in Psalm 34:10. That those that seek the Lord shall lack no good thing.
Now it's your turn. If you want to spend a few minutes more in going a bit deeper with God, to see what He may be saying to you through these verses, answer the following questions. You can download this pretty prayer journal or just use a notebook to answer them.
Today's devotional is based on Colossians 3:1-2 which is from our Practicing The Presence Of God: 31 Presence Of God Scriptures Plan. You will find a free printable PDF of 31 scriptures about God's presence in the Resource Library. It has a bible reading plan, guided prayer, and gratitude journal. Download this free printable or grab a notebook and answer the following questions.
What is God saying to you through this verse?
What burdens do you need to surrender to God and trust Him with?
Write out your prayer request.
What are you grateful for today? Count your blessings!
Write out the scripture verse, it helps you to memorize the scripture and store up God's truth in your heart.
Then in the last section of the prayer journal, there is space to record what God is speaking to you through our bible verses today, Colossians 3:1-2.
Scripture Prayer - Fix your eyes on things above
We are called to pray without ceasing. That means we can talk with God at any time and in any place. This is a great way to practice the presence of God. Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray so join me in praying Colossians 3:1-2.
Father help me to fix my eyes on You. Help me to be heavenly-minded all the time. Forgive for when I listen to the world around me and not Your words of truth. I desire to set my affections on things above. Help me to surrender everything to you and to accept Your Lordship over my life. Amen.
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xx Karen.
