There is a lot of talk in Christian circles about the idea of worldview. Worldview is the lens through which you see everything around you. Just as it is hard to convince a blind person he or she needs a particular piece of clothing based on the color of the fabric, so it should be difficult for a Christian to buy into messages of needful gadgets, improved youthfulness and exterior beauty, and general “feel good”-ness. We have clear direction for our attentions given our Kingdom status.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)
Both hearts and minds are to be focused heavenward and Colossians 3 goes on in a good amount of detail as to what that does and does not look like. What I would like to do for a moment is to look at a broader set of what looking toward eternity is and is not like. Just to add emphasis to what was already made clear, 1 John 2:17 tells us that
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Human spirits are seen when wearing eternal lenses (at least those that have been raised with Christ ). A clear consequence is that if you have any care at all for a person, heavenward thinking means looking to get that person in the club, so to speak. Note here that the longings we feel today that come from being part of this world will not continue in eternity.
Perhaps, most famous of the verses to quote on this matter, found in the gospels according Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The words we find in the Bible are eternal things while heaven and earth have an end. This puts me in a mind to look further still through these eternal words to see what is temporary and fading to help remind us to turn away from those things in favor of what is lasting.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
The powers of intellect and great spirituality will not last. These alone are no cure for futile, temporal living. Love, however, has something going for it. Take a good look back through Colossians 3 to see what love is and is not (and 1 Corinthians 13 works well too).
But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. (James 1:10)
Wealth does not make the mark. Stuff fades away and rots. Even though I have some persistent dandelions in my back yard, they are still not eternal.
To wrap up for now, I think the following out of Colossians 3 gives us our direction.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Leave a Reply