Set your heart, mind, and body on things above, Col. 3:1-17

Colossians 3 opens with a reminder once again that we are in Christ; that we have died and risen with him. Now that we have been made alive and resemble Christ, we need to act accordingly.

Paul says specifically to set our hearts on things above then to set our minds on things above. I would argue that through his examples he also says to set our bodies on things above. Whatever our minds ponder, our bodies follow; what discipline we set our bodies must carry out. When our hearts belong to Christ, they are set on him and desire to be filled with him – which overflows to the mind and then the body.

I have read so many references to the importance of the mind in the Christian walk lately. It is key to understand that Christianity encourages us to think, to utilize our mind, never setting aside intellect for blind acceptance. We are encouraged to ponder and utilize our whole being to serve and glorify God – that includes the mind. If we question or simply set aside things saying that we must ignore the perplexities of the Bible or Christian walk, we miss out on growing in Christ. In the struggle to know him, understand more of him, we grow more like him and grow our faith. (Enough of that aside for today!)

Set aside earthly nature

Paul goes on to address some specific aspects of earthly nature, but any list will be incomplete. Everything which draws us away from Christ could be on this list. We know that even things that are good can be taken to excess and become bad for us. Much of Paul’s list includes aspects of character: anger, rage, dishonesty.

The key to setting aside our earthly nature is hidden in the middle of this paragraph, in verse 10. We have a new self that we put on when we came alive again in Christ (recall Col. 2). This new self, verse 10 says, is being continually renewed in the relationship with God that has formed in us and between God and you. Each self is in the on-going process of renewal through knowing Christ, and as such we are more and more able and empowered to set aside the earthly and become more Christ-like.

We are not expected to do this setting aside of anger, malice, lies, lust, greed, idolatry on our own, but rather we are empowered to do so by Christ, his Spirit dwelling in us always.

Empowered by Christ’s Spirit

Therefore, we are recognized as belonging to one family, no longer separated or divided by title or status, but resembling Christ in life, action, thought, body, and heart.  

Paul exhorts us then to behave toward one another as Christ did. He reminds us of the call to live in love toward all. This living in love call is to invite Christ to rule in peace and unity, to utilize the fruit of the Spirit and be thankful. He mentions being thankful twice in three verses, so close together.

Togetherness

I’m struck by the fact that if we live where the message of Christ dwells among us (v. 16) and we teach and admonish with wisdom and song, we have to actually spend time together. We need to live out our lives mixed into each other. We are called to a togetherness. It is too easy to say that we are ‘unified’ because we are of one mind that Christ is Lord. We are called to live the more difficult life of continual teaching and admonishment.

It is only through the life of Christ in us that we manage to set our hearts and minds and bodies on things above. In his power, we can and do choose the Christlike way that we are called to walk. He fills us with his love and life that we are able to do so. May this be an encouraging passage and not one that challenges you to work in your own strength but know that he has filled you with all you need of himself to set aside the earthly things that hold us down.