Reading Plan:
Colossians 3


Our Thoughts:
Growing up the youngest child with two older sisters, for the most part, I had it easy. If you were the baby of the family like I was, then you understand. If you were like my sisters who weren’t the baby, then you understand even more so. Although I drew the better end of the stick in the lottery of who was to be born last, it wasn’t always peachy. Certainly, sibling rivalry naturally existed between us three. Being the youngest, something I quickly developed was reflex. After all, you can’t dodge hair clips, curling irons, and the “get out of my room!” comments on hopes and dreams.
After reading Colossians three, my focus seems to hoover around the first half of the chapter. At first, the word “reflex” may seem unrelated, but for some reason after reading the first few verses, the word never left my mind.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above and not things on Earth.”
IF you are a believer, THEN set your mind on the things of Christ. That’s a spiritual reflex. Seems a bit easier said than done, right? I mean, how on earth are we supposed to take our focus off the turmoil that constantly surrounds us? I know I constantly worry about an endless number of things from bills I need to pay, to chores that need to be done, and the list goes on and on, growing exponentially. If I’m not careful, these thoughts snowball into stress which turns into anxiety and then depression.
If you feel the same way, take heart because we are not alone. The people in Colossians were dealing with a lot of the same issues as us. In verse five we see that they had influences like idolatry, sexual immorality, and evil desires - much like our world today. So, how do we deal with that? Paul’s idea in verse two is that we just simply set our minds on things higher than those of this world: Jesus and his nature. I wonder how many times a day we let the burdens and general heaviness of the environment we are in get us down. Can you imagine how much easier it would be to face this problem if every time we had a negative thought, we could just snap our minds back into focus on what/who matters: Jesus Christ and His kingdom.
Let’s take it a step further. Can you imagine, how much more meaning our lives could have if we allowed Christ to transform us through His Word to a point where Colossians 3:2 became our reflex?
Our goal as Christians should be to progress in our faith so much so that turning to Jesus is instinctive. How do we do this? Going back to chapter two, we must build our faith on a good foundation and allow Christ to grow it as we read and apply His Word in our lives. Our faith is more than hopes and dreams. It is the process of minute by minute choosing to let our old self remain in the grave while our new self continues on to glorify Christ. When developing a reflex, practice makes perfect. Practice each day when things get hard, shifting your focus from every bad thought and burden to Christ and his glory.
Allow every stressful moment to be transformed by your faith, laying another brick in the wall between you and Satan. Paul goes on in verses 9-11 to say that we as believers have put on the “new man” because the old man has been put off. Allow that to be our anthem going forward! As we navigate the endless turbulence of life, we should be the “new man” actively developing the ability to defer to Christ in every situation.




More Questions:
• How are you actively building a good foundation for your faith?
• What parts of you have changed after becoming the “new man” as described in verse 10?
• How do you currently handle stress in your life? Do you look to Christ for answers?


Prayer:
Father, transform our minds and hearts into what you desire for them to be. Show us how to battle the enemy with Christ-like reflexes. Amen.



Author: Bailey Woods