“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1
For many people, the new year is a time to hope and plan for the next twelve months. Goals are set, vision is casted, and preparations for what’s to come are set in motion. There’s excitement when we envision "the next". I like to also take time to reflect on the previous year. The goals I have yet to meet, areas where I needed to be more aligned with God’s word, and times I blindly missed my assignments.
I do a hard assessment of the past twelve months; and most of the time, I can see places where I lost sight of God or gave my attention away to something meaningless. I take inventory of the moments I missed God in Heaven because I was paying too much attention to the gods on earth. Perhaps, you have taken this same inventory for yourself.
As we enter into a new year, let's put our focus on things above, where Christ is.
Colossians 3:1-3 tells us to transfer our focus from earthly things and set our hearts on things above, where Christ is. When we focus on Christ, we will begin to recognize areas of our hearts that are not aligned with God’s truth nor His will. We will be able to embrace reality, make a change, and move forward with the Lord.
When we focus on Christ, we invite Him to fill the void in our hearts that only He can fill. We are able to move from bondage to freedom, and from a slave to sin to a child of God the Father. We become free from the distractions of the world and become immersed in His mercy and grace.
There are so many things in this world that steals our attention. And there are things that we freely give our attention to; failing to acknowledge the costs. I encourage you to pause this week and assess what things you have your heart and mind set on. Is it God’s plan for your future? Or is it your own desires and wants? What things aren’t adding value to your identity or purpose? What things, people, or habits need to stay in 2021 so that you can be renewed and restored?
Changing the posture of your heart, renewing your mind, and keeping your eyes on Christ shapes the person God is calling you to be. I pray you are “renewed in the knowledge in the image of Creator” (Colossians 3:10) as you move forward in 2022.
Prayer:
Father, if you don’t do anything else for me, you’ve already done enough. Your promises are constant and everlasting. I give You thanks, not for what You provide or do, but for who You are in my life. I confess to you the times I have failed to act as I should. I repent and renounce any agreement that I have had with the things of this world, and I choose to turn away and run to You. I pray that my faith and trust is in You, not in my earthly possessions. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit now as I focus my heart on You. I thank you for restoring me back to you. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Ashley K. Stovall
