Colossians 3:1-3 Look Up, Not Down
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 8, 2020 Colossians 3:1-3
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Understanding the Text) Paul has warned the Colossians against the gnostic-type beliefs that try to combine worship of angels and philosophy with the knowledge of Jesus. He has given a brief warning about the Judaizing ideas of keeping festivals. He has cautioned against trying to use physical denial to live righteously. He has told the Colossians that the only way to live successfully is to cling to Jesus, and Jesus would ensure that they continued to grow. Paul has warned against looking for solutions in other places like visions, philosophies, false prophets, asceticism and worldly ideas. Now, Paul tells them what they should be looking for. He says that they need to take their eyes off of people and worldly things and look for the heavenly things. Look to see that their Lord is seated at the right hand of God. Their Lord is more powerful than anyone or anything on earth. They need to focus their thinking on Jesus as their Lord and not focus on the mundane worldly ideas that originate on earth. Why? Because they are no longer part of the mundane worldly kingdom. They are part of the kingdom of heaven. Their minds should be where there citizenship is. Their life is no longer the same as it was before, so they need to think and live the truth of who they are now.
(Revelation of God) The reference to Jesus sitting at the right hand of God comes from Psalm 110. “A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head” (Psalms 110:1-7). This psalm has a promise that is also referenced in another less direct way. It says that the Messiah’s people would offer themselves freely on the day of power in holy garments. This is the promise of growing into the people we should and will be as citizens of heaven. In making these references, Paul is telling the Colossians that they have the promise of success if they just cling to Jesus. They don’t need anyone or anything else to get to where they need to be. They have Jesus still working for them, and He has the power above all in this world or in any other. Thus, there is no reason to look for solutions in this world.
(Application) My application for myself is that I need to keep my focus on Jesus because He has come to me and led me this far. He will continue to lead me farther. He has the authority of His position and the proven desire to bring me all the way to glorification. All I have to do is hold fast to Him, and He will see that I continue to grow. I am not a member of this world any longer. I am a member of the kingdom of heaven, so I need to live like it. By that, I mean that I need to think as a citizen of heaven and focus on what is important to Jesus, not what the world says is important. I can work in this world while living as a child of God. Sometimes, what the world wants of me and what God wants of me will be the same outwardly, but inwardly, I will be doing the actions for heavenly reasons, not to please the world. When the goals of the world and God diverge, I will already be focused on following God, and it will be natural to just keep doing so. The big lesson in Colossians is that we are to hold fast to Jesus and not try to find solutions in the world that we can fuse onto our beliefs. We need to remember where we belong and live like it.
(Prayer) When I am distracted, draw my attention back to You. When I lose sight of the essential element of living as Your follower, straighten out my priorities. Help me to understand what it means to be in this world and yet be Your disciple. Give me the joy of Your presence now and forever.