Set Your Heart On Things Above

Theme: Set your hearts on things above

Text: Eccl. 2:18-23; Col. 3:1-11; Lk. 12:13-21

The daily routine for the average adult is sleep, eat, work, exercise and relax and occassionally a minute or two when they remember to pray. Is this how God expects us to live? This is the world’s prescription that promises to improve your live style but is this really true. If not why do we continue doing it? Why do we not accept God’s prescription to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33) Seeking first the kingdom of God is what really benefits the soul and the human soul is a priceless treasure that is more valuable than the whole world. “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26) Unfortunately, many today are more concerned about the world than about their souls. Is that not the reason why a person would swallow cocaine pellets knowing that it could lead to death? Is that not the reason why a person would risk his or her life to steal a pair of sneakers or a mobile phone? These people give God very little place in their daily lives and are more concerned about pleasing themselves rather than pleasing God. They set their hearts on earthly temporal things rather than “set their hearts on things above”.

Seek the things that are above is an advice to seek Christ. The Scriptures are all about Christ and we seek Him by hearing, reading and studying the Word of God. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ”. (Rom. 10:17) From the Scriptures we learn about Christ’s death and how His lifeless body was taken from the cross, prepared for burial and buried in a tomb. We also learn of how He was filled with the life of God and rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. The Scriptures bring us into the spiritual realm where we can communicate with Christ and hear Him speak to us. The Scriptures make us understand that believers die to sin with Christ and are buried with Him. The Scriptures also make us understand that we were made alive by His Spirit, rose from the dead with Him and are now seated with Him in the heavenly realms. Everything we are results from His life in us and has made Him our priority in life. Through prayer we have access to His presence and His heavenly blessings and provisions. Our response to the presence of God can only be worship. Worship makes us focus on Christ and enables us grow in intimacy with Him. The closer we are to Christ, the brighter the light of His presence shines on us and the brighter His light shines from us.

When we seek Christ we will find Him and see our need for a Saviour. The realisation that Christ has paid the price we could never pay and that salvation is available to us because of Him is enough reason for us to confess Him as Saviour and Lord and make Him our priority in life. When Christ becomes the focus of our lives we develop a growing and maturing relationship with Him. The more time we spend with Him in prayer and the reading of His Word the more we will understand Him, see as He sees, hear as He hears and live out the truths of His word. What we believe determines the way we behave and changes our attitude to wealth and possessions. They have no permanet value and according to the Preacher in Ecclessiastics are all vanity. This is especially true in the area of money as illustrated in today’s parable. Jesus was interupted while teaching on eternal issues with a request to resolve a family dispute over inheritance. This prompted Jesus to teach about the dangers of covetousness and and the danger of placing one’s confidence in earthly riches rather than eternal treasures. In our materialistic society, what Jesus had to say is especially relevant today. For most people their main priority in life is to accumulate wealth. Money in itself is not bad. It is the love for money, in other words greed, which is so destructive. Greed simply wants more. It is having a desire that always keeps increasing and cannot be satisfied. The destructiveness of greed is evident all around us. Life is not about possessions but about our relationship with God. It is not about material goods but about our commitment and faithfulness to Christ. Do you have a relationship with Christ? Is your heart set on earthly things or on Christ? If not you can enter into a relationship with Christ today by confessing Him as your Saviour and Lord.