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Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

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The way you see determines the way you live. That’s not just a catchy phrase—it’s a core truth of following Jesus. Paul, writing to the church in Colossae, urges them to “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” This isn’t advice for hyper-spiritual people trying to escape real life. It’s wisdom for anyone who wants to walk through life with clarity, purpose, and hope.

To “set” your mind means more than a passing thought. It’s the same word used to describe fastening something in place. Like setting a dial or fixing your GPS on a destination. It’s active. Intentional. Determined. Paul is saying: if you don’t choose your lens, the world will choose it for you.

There are all kinds of lenses we adopt without realizing it. The lens of comparison. The lens of fear. The lens of scarcity. The lens of success as the world defines it. And once those lenses are on, everything you see is filtered through them.

Ever noticed how two people can experience the exact same situation and walk away with completely different interpretations? That’s the power of a lens. One person sees rejection, the other sees redirection. One sees an inconvenience, the other sees an invitation. One sees lack, the other sees God’s provision.

Paul’s invitation is to take off the temporary lenses and set your focus on what’s eternal. He’s not telling you to ignore earthly things—he’s saying don’t be consumed by them. Let your focus be shaped by what lasts, not just what’s loud.

Think about it like this: imagine you’re driving through the mountains, and your windshield is covered in grime and bug splatters. You can still see—but not well. The scenery is there, but it’s distorted. Then you pull into a gas station and finally clean the glass. Suddenly, everything changes. The same road, the same mountains—but with a new lens, it’s breathtaking.

That’s what happens when you live with a heavenly lens. You’re not escaping life. You’re seeing it as it truly is. Heaven becomes the framework, and life begins to look different.

You don’t just react to your day—you respond with wisdom. You don’t measure success by how much you’ve accumulated, but by how much you’ve loved, served, and trusted. You stop asking, “How can I get ahead?” and start asking, “How can I be faithful?”

This shift affects your relationships too. A heavenly lens helps you see people differently. That difficult coworker? Eternal. That friend who always makes everything about them? Eternal. That person you’d rather avoid? Eternal. You start realizing that every interaction is an opportunity to reflect Jesus.

It also changes how you process pain. Without a heavenly lens, suffering feels random. Cruel. Meaningless. But when you see life through the lens of eternity, your pain has perspective. You can say with Paul, “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed.” That doesn’t erase the pain—it places it in the right frame.

Even your priorities shift. Suddenly, it matters less if you are impressive and matters more if you are faithful. It matters less if you are understood and more if you are obedient. You begin to build a life that might not look flashy, but will stand the test of time.

Living with a heavenly lens doesn’t mean your head is in the clouds. It means your feet are on the ground and your eyes are on Jesus. It gives you a double awareness: of the present moment and the eternal story behind it.

Think of the great athletes in a close game. They don’t just play the play—they play with the clock in mind. They know the moment matters, but they are aware of the bigger picture. They know how much time they have, and it shapes their decisions.

That’s what a heavenly lens gives you: eternal awareness. You begin to live every moment—not in panic or pressure—but with perspective. You know where the clock is. You know the game is not forever. You know what matters most.

And when that mindset takes root, the small things start to feel sacred. The quiet moments of faithfulness. The kind word no one hears. The patience when you’re irritated. The prayer no one sees. Through a worldly lens, they seem forgettable. Through a heavenly lens, they are seeds of eternal legacy.

That is the gift of living with your mind set on things above. Clarity in chaos. Hope in suffering. Purpose in the ordinary.

So many people walk through life reacting to every headline, every inconvenience, every emotion, without realizing they’re wearing the wrong lens. But you don’t have to live like that. You can wipe the glass clean. You can fix your focus. You can look up.

When heaven becomes your home, it must also become your lens. Not just on Sundays. Not just in the spiritual moments. But in the carpool line, the staff meeting, the grocery store, and the hard conversations. Heaven shapes your outlook, your words, your choices, and your joy.

So today, clean the glass. Reset your vision. And live with the awareness that every moment counts in light of eternity.

Apply

Choose one conversation or situation today and enter it intentionally with a heavenly lens. Pause before you speak or act, and ask, “What matters most in eternity here?” Then move forward with that clarity.

Pray

Jesus, help me see clearly. Let my mind be set on what matters. I don’t want to live distracted or reactionary. I want to live focused, purposeful, and aware of what lasts. Shift my lens and shape my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.