Set Your Heart On Things Above – Lindsay Schmidt
February 1, 2019

I believe that there is a point in some of our lives when we realize that the material things in life are not the things that truly mean the world to us. The clothes, phones, furniture, diamonds, all the possessions that we have don’t matter if we don’t have people in our lives who love us and whom we love. Having people in our lives to share love with whether they be our parents, children, brothers and sisters, grandparents, they are who we would choose over possessions or other worldly things. These people we make memories with that will stay with us forever, we gain wisdom from them, we are teachers to them, we share moments of grief, happiness, laughter, heartbreak, knowledge with them. In those moments of choosing those souls over worldly possessions we are choosing to set our eyes just a little higher on the things that matter more to us. This quote is found in Colossians 3:2, set your affections on things above not on things on earth. Some might look at this verse in the bible and say “yea, I don’t care about material things and I love my family and friends so I am doing what this verse says.” Yes, if this is your thinking then you are heading in the right direction, but God wants us to take it to the next level with Him. He is telling us to open our eyes and set them on the things of Him. He wants us to follow after Him. To set our eyes on the place where we get our direction, instruction, where we get our wisdom, our love, peace, provision, protection from. He wants us to set our eyes on Him. Doing so may cost us much more than we might want to give. It may cost us some friendships, some material things, some time, some sleep, but no matter what it may cost us, what we will gain in the end is more important. Eternity with Him. The King, the Father, the Savior. This verse is reminding us that not matter what we have on this earth, we have more in heaven if we choose to look up to Him.

If we look to the word, we can find some examples of people in our history who chose to set their heart on the things above. If we look at the story of Ruth, we will find that she was left with nothing. Her husband had died, so the only person she had was her mother-in-law, who chose to leave the land they dwelled in and go somewhere else. So Ruth was left with a choice, either stay where she was, in a land where she had built a life in or follow after her mother-in-law and start a new life. Although her mother-in-law told her to stay and live her life where she was, Ruth chose to set her eyes higher and follow after her mother-in-law. She followed after what she felt God wanted her to do. Although it had to be a tough decision because she was leaving behind everything she knew, she chose to follow God’s will. Again we see this with the 12 disciples, God called after Peter and Andrew as they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee and told them to drop their nets and follow Him and be fishers of men, they left right away to go with Him (Matthew 4:19). They left that very minute, leaving their life, their family, everything to set their eyes on the things of God.

You may have noticed throughout this blog that I have said the word chose many times. God asked, God called, but the people had to choose to follow His calling. They had to make a choice then and there to leave their lives, their things, what they knew, and follow after God. It’s a choice that must be made if we want to set our hearts on the things above. Obviously, I am not telling you to go and leave your job, your family, sell your home, and leave everyone you know behind. I am saying to follow after God’s will for your life and choose to say “yes” to Him. Choose to follow Him and not your own will. Choose Him daily over and over. Choose to say “yes” to praying and talking with Him in the morning, choose to say “Yes” when He asks you to do something tough. It may be tough for you, but there is a trust in Him that is built when you see the goodness He wants and will bring to your life if you just choose Him. No matter what we give up here on earth, God will give so much more than we could ever gain on earth, in our eternity. We will not be let down or left without. What will you choose to set your heart on today? The things of this earth or the things above? The choice is yours.

He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.

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