Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God
The extension of the date of shelter may discourage a lot of us, but as Christians, we need to know that our ultimate and eternal shelter is up in Heaven, not where we are living now. It is crucial to keep that in mind.
We can learn from Apostle Paul that in his life, he was basically living a very spiritual life, rather a worldly one. He did not succumb to worldly temptations and expectations because he was firm that his affection was not for the world, but for our Heavenly Father.
Worldliness Versus Holiness
A lot of us may find huge difficulty in living a sanctified or holy life, because our flesh is so attached to our worldly desires. Nonetheless, we need to always remind ourselves, that Jesus Christ is sitting on the right hand of God, and that he is still on the throne, that whatever he does, he is always righteous, sovereign and everything goes to his counsel and his will. With that said we can trust our father that he will guide us and pick us up with his right hand, every step of the way towards the right path.
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Where our vision is set, our hearts shall follow. We should be aiming for treasures in heaven, not on earth. However that being said, we also realize that we are surrounded by worldly temptations and trials, that often may divert our attention away from what truly matters. Besides that, the tendency for us to compare with others, even among Bible Believers may unintentionally grow our covetousness and bitterness.
We can hardly rely on our own fleshy mind to distance ourselves from monetary or earthly possessions. Therefore, rely on God’s right hand and through Christ Jesus, to help us grow spiritually day by day, through reading his words of truth, to increase our knowledge about the scripture. Consistently doing these things may continue to fill us up with Holy Spirit.
Immediate versus Delayed Gratification
Nowadays, most people tend to be too absorbed with instant gratification, constantly seeking for short cuts and fast results. That is very fleshy, as opposed to the will of God, that indicates that the work of the Holy Spirit is patience, faithfulness, and consistency. By being patient and consistent, we know we will please God as he wants to test us and our character, and the process will also help grow the Holy Spirit in us, and diminish our flesh and lustful desire.
As a result, our affection will change, where we will gravitate towards earning more spiritual fruits for the Lord, rather than worldly stuff or sins.
One of the key factors that people tend to fall into disappointment, discouragement, or even depression, is due to people are too dependent on material possessions to satisfy their needs and to give them happiness, which will never be able to completely satisfy them.
And even through prayers, some Christians may often seek God to remove their pain, almost instantly, but that is not how God works. We need to trust God’s timing, and be patient with God, to be unceasing with our effort in praying, and that is when God will slowly remove our fleshy desire and affection, and to build a strong barrier against worldly temptation.
If we are only seeking God for fast results, that is still considered as fleshy, and often it will backfire as when we thought our prayers are not answered, we tend to turn to drugs or alcohol to fulfill the lust of our flesh, or to alleviate the pain of our flesh, and that is when depression will hit us again and again.
Count both blessings and trials as gifts from God, as we need to be balanced by both in order for us to truly live a spiritually enriched life. Blessings from God remind us that we are children of God, and he will look after us. However, if we take that for granted, and always expect God to only give us blessings, but nothing else. That will lead us to accommodate those blessings and thoughts to our flesh, and thus becoming prideful and complacent. A balance of trials and struggles in life will wake us from that and help us lean towards living a spiritual life instead. We need to also learn to see trials as a means of shaping our character for the better, and not a means of destroying us.
Have the joy of the Lord
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Satan will always try to rob our joy away by putting different struggles and challenges in our lives. As Bible Believers, all we need is to realize that none of that matters, because our flesh will eventually die off and rot, but our souls are saved for eternity, and we should learn to take comfort in that alone, put our focus on living a life as sanctified as possible.
Colossians 3:4-5 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Jesus is coming very soon, and as Bible Believers, we will be raptured up in heaven. Comparing what we have on earth, all the material possessions that we own, all the wealth that we inherit, are nothing to what we will inherit in Heaven itself, such as the precious stones, the crowns, and the kingdom.
If we can shift our mindset in such a way, our desire will change almost instantly. Therefore, we are to live for Christ now, so that we do not regret what we have done, or have not done on earth that we lose all our rewards in Heaven, something very important to keep in mind as well.