The third chapter of Colossians clearly lays out that there is two kinds of life–the life where the mind is set on things above, and the life where the mind is set on thing that are on earth. In my childhood I remember hearing the expression that characterized a person as “so heavenly minded they were no earthly good.” This is NOT what Paul is describing. The person whose mind is set on “things above” is not walking around with their head in the clouds. This is clear by the description that follows of what a person is like whose mind is set on things above. It is a very active life. The person whose mind is set on things above considers the members of their earthly body as dead to certain behavior–immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. This is hard work! Living like this requires discipline because the world we live in puts these things out as what we should all be going after. Paul says that if we are in Christ it is as if we have died to these things. He says they are idolatry in verse 5. It means that where our devotion and passion and energy is focused reveals what we give the highest worth to. Worship is attributing worth to God. When we live entangled in all these other things that is what we are attributing the highest worth to. This is idolatry which is worshipping something other than God.
Paul further says that the life lived set on the things above puts aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech. More hard work. As human beings given to self-protection and pride, without a mind set on things above our “default position” is to get angry, be mad, have animosity toward others, and talk about people in slanderous and evil ways. Lying is our most common defense and Paul says we must stop this!
Paul then in verse 10 flips to the positive. The mind set on things above, as opposed to things on the earth puts off or stops or dies to certain behavior, but more important, they also “put on” or live to other things–things that are “above.” Above means things that are in keeping with what God has revealed and instructed us to do and be in Christ. We are to put on a new self which is like the image of God. Now there’s a job to work on! Being like God means we are not discriminatory and treat all people the same (vs. 11). It means that we are to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patience, bearing with each other, forgiving each other just as the Lord has been for us! (vs. 12-13). Above all, we are to put on love–the perfect bonding agent! (vs. 14)
We are to let God’s word dwell in us richly and be thankful people (vs. 16-17). And whatever we do we are to do as unto the Lord (vs. 17 and 23). The motivation for all this is not that others deserve it, or that it will make our lives better, or that it will get earthly praise, or even the appreciation of others. We are to do these things because this is what God has done for us and because God instructs us to do them.
This is hard work to live life like this. But we are given the Spirit of God to help us and the Christian family to encourage and challenge us. Where is your mind set?