Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Projected lifeI am just old enough I remember film strip projectors. Teachers in school would bring out the projector and load the reels of film on them to show movies. The first two or three feet of the film were always blank allowing the bulb to shine its white light on the screen uninhibited by the colors and shapes of the pictures on the full frames.
During these blank frames, numerous fingers making different designs and figurines would flash on the screen as my classmates inserted their hands in the beam of light casting shadows on the screen. This always brought a stern reprimand from the teacher.
Paul reminds us to get our “hands” out of the way of God’s projector too. Live in the reality of heaven not earth. Stop clouding the clear and brilliant light of Christ with earthly shadows and images.
Whenever a shadow emerges on the screen we immediately lose focus on the big picture and focus on the small shadow. How often do we do the same thing with our spiritual lives? We walk around looking at the “hands” on the screen and ignore the reality of what is happening on the rest of the screen.
What would happen if we stopped looking at the shadows, especially those created by our own hands, and began to watch the beautiful story of life God is unfolding around us?
Director of life and creation I stand amazed at your awesome work of art in creating life. I confess I am too quick to try and insert my own action onto the screen of life and lose sight of the big picture. Help me to maintain my focus on you and your plan for my life and this world. - Dan Jones
Tested and found lackingRight now I’m thinking a lot about the mundane things of earth, like air conditioning, a kitchen, bookshelves, and outlet plates – material things that will complete the house and office into which my wife and I just moved. I know these things are not the most important pieces of my life. In fact, Paul points out that things like having a kitchen sink in which to do dishes don’t determine the quality of my life when I am defined by Jesus Christ and the eternal realities of heaven.
On the other hand, these earthly things reveal just how much of the old sinful nature I struggle to put off. I struggle not to be consumed with the incomplete state of my living and working environment. It wears on my emotions and so I descend into lust – an overpowering desire for a finished kitchen and central air, or anger that I allowed myself to get into this kind of material situation.
Doing without many material things I’ve taken for granted for the past many years (even for a few months) has reminded me how much I am defined by physical comfort and material convenience. Just how thoroughly these things define me shows itself on those days my emotions go haywire. They are like a thermometer revealing the state of my soul!
Christ my Lord, your lordship in me has been my confession and commitment for years. I really do want to be defined by you. Yet I see again in these days how much sinful, earthly things lurk within me. Help me grow to new levels of knowing you so that you really do become all that matters. - Mike Leamon
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