Paul's Word to the Church in Colosse (2)

Look Up!

“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.  Pursue the things over which Christ presides.  Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you.  Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is.   See things from his perspective” (Colossians 3:1,2  MSG).

   If we are serious about following Jesus Christ, we have to see where He is going.   We have to have our eyes on Him.   If we are looking at all the trials and temptations of this world, we are certainly not looking at Jesus, and it is difficult to follow someone if we aren’t watching him.  

   How do we keep our eyes on Jesus?  Well, the Bible contains 66 books that all pertain to Christ, even if He isn’t mentioned specifically in some of them, and if we read the Bible, we are certainly taught to pray.  We attend church services, and we may even go to a Bible study.  These three things, Bible, prayer, church gatherings, should give us opportunity to discuss Jesus and His affect on our lives when we talk with friends, family, or fellow churchgoers.  

   There is one other way that I keep my eyes on Him.  I like to get alone in the outdoors, view His creation and think about all that He has done. Look up at the blue sky, the white clouds, sunrises , sunsets, and the stars and moon at night. There is much peace to be found just by looking up at the  glory He has created in the sky.

   Have you ever imagined having a conversation with Jesus?  Your answer to that question is probably, ”Yes, I pray.”  That’s a good answer, but conversations are two-sided, two people talking.   We need to be sure to allow time in our prayers for the Lord to answer us.  The Scripture above tells us to “be alert to what is going on around Christ.”   Listening during our prayers is one way to know what is going on around Jesus.  And, if we listen for Him and listen to Him, we will get to see things from His perspective.  Sometimes it seems hard to hear from the Lord, but the effort is worth it.  His word is often encouraging, and instructive.   Certainly the Bible is encouraging and instructive.  

   If we focus on Jesus, we might even get answers to some of the things that bother us, that cause us problems in this life.  Be assured that He is interested in all of our problems and is willing to help us through them.  So, Look Up and seek Jesus.