"Get Your Head in the Clouds"
August 1, 2016
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. Colossians 3:1-3
Do you remember back to those days in grade school or high school? It was in the afternoon, right after lunch, in the middle of your toughest class. It was so easy to start looking out the window and start daydreaming. And if you didn't watch yourself, the teacher might catch you and say, "Seltz, get your head out of the clouds and back into class."
Get your head out of the clouds.
Well, if that was a call to get serious, our lesson today is telling you to get even more serious too, but to get serious by getting your heads not out of the cloud, but getting your head in the clouds.
The apostle Paul tells us to keep our focus on Christ, to lift our eyes to the things of Christ in all things. Since we have been raised with Christ -- baptized in His Name, your sin has been buried with Him, and your resurrected life is already assured in Him. So get ready to live that life right now, for all its worth. Live life in Christ towards your destiny because your destiny is already secure in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
How about if we said it this way today? Heavenly life in Christ is an out-of-the-gutter kind of life: (a life out of sin, guilt, immorality, ignorance) kind of life, and a joyfully into-the-streets kind of life (into the realities of life with forgiveness, loving concern, and purposeful service), with our heads held high, and our focus on the things above in Jesus -- and the people we love in life. So, get ready for that. Get your head into the clouds, into the things of Jesus Christ, to live life boldly in the world right now!
In fact, if you keep your head in the clouds, if you keep your focus on the things of Jesus, you will be ready for action; you will be prepared for the game.
In my neighborhood when I was young, there were 20 guys on the block. We had football teams, hockey teams, basketball teams, baseball teams -- all from the neighborhood, and we played all kinds of games against each other week in and week out.
In fact, we had so many guys that there were times when you didn't get picked for the game -- not me, you understand, but others. (Just kidding!) When I was young, there were times I didn't get picked right away either! But that just made me want to be the best, even more!
But, here's the point. If you had that unfortunate moment when you weren't picked right away, you still had to maintain your readiness. You still had to watch every play; you listened to every call because at any moment someone could get hurt or get tired, and then you would hear your name called: "Come on in! It's your time!"
You had to be ready to step in, mind focused on what was happening, because the ball could be coming to you; the block could be coming to you, or you had to defend the goal line.
When Paul tells us to set our minds on the things above, he's telling us not to daydream or to let our minds wander. He's telling us to get focused. He's telling us to get not only our heads -- but our hearts and our bodies -- into the game.
And if I hear the message of Colossians rightly, I think Paul is saying God has already chosen you in Jesus, so keep your head in the game because God is calling your name.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, give us eyes of faith to see clearly the life You have given us to live, with our hearts rejoicing in Your grace, and our minds set on the things above. Amen.
