The Things Above

The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

–James 3:17

When people think about heaven, they imagine different things. When my daughters were young, they thought heaven would be an endless supply of toys. For many senior adults and people with chronic illness, heaven means an end to physical suffering. For people who are grieving, heaven means a reunion with lost loved ones. Heaven means different things to different people.

But when Paul said, “Keep seeking the things above” (Colossians 3:1), he was not talking about imagining what heaven might be like or the people who will be awaiting us there. He continued, “Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” To be seated at the right hand of God means to have a position of power. Psalm 110:1 says, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” God promised His Son that the entire world would be subjected to Him. So when we think about “the things above,” we are to concentrate on Jesus Christ’s position, His power, and most of all, His entire life. We’re to concentrate on the character qualities that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, that’s what it means to be heavenly minded: to conform our everyday actions, attitudes, and affections to those of Christ.

What qualities characterized Christ’s life? In Galatians 5:22–23, Paul referred to these qualities as the fruit of the Spirit. He wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” James, the half brother of Jesus, also wrote about these qualities. He said, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy” (3:17). To be heavenly minded means to concentrate on the characteristics of Christ and to become like Him in our lives.

One of the greatest misunderstandings about the Christian life is the idea that while we’re on earth, we’re just sinful people who have no control over our actions or attitudes. No, the Bible says you and I can experience the good life now. We don’t have to wait until we die to become like Christ; we can enjoy the great life He enjoyed while we’re still on earth. In other words, we can experience real, radical transformation of every part of our lives.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Wanted: Dead and Alive” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.