Affections: Set on God or Set on Self?

 

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

Colossians 3:1-3

 

 

One Sunday morning the LORD

challenged our church with a couple of questions.

The questions were:

What are you filled with this week?

What is trying to occupy your heart that isn’t God?

There is so much in life that is vying for our attention.

There is so much that would distract us from the important things.

Our affections can be set on things below;

that is on things here on earth or they can be set (as they should be) on things above.

We are encouraged in the epistle to the Colossians to set our affections on things above.

Let your heart, your affections; be filled with God this week.

Not possible you say?

Hmmm, I guess God gave us a command we couldn’t keep!

Not really.

But He did give us a command we couldn’t keep apart from Him.

You see, my flesh is at war with the things of the Spirit of God.

Yours is too, by the way!

If allowed to have its’ way our flesh just wouldn’t be interested in giving God the time of day this week.

That’s why we are told to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

In a manner of speaking; my flesh is very affectionate

with those things that are contrary to God.

Our old nature is ‘cozy’ with sin.

That is why God challenged us to look at what is filling our lives up.

What is occupying your thoughts and your actions this week that is not of God?

Ask God to show you.

Then ask God to help you set your affections on Him and to empty

yourself of self that He might fill you with His Spirit.