"Get Your Head in the Clouds"
Feb. 22, 2020
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.
Do you remember those days in school when right after lunch you'd be looking out the window and daydreaming? If I didn't watch myself, the teacher might even catch me 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 us to get even more serious. It's telling us to get our head in the clouds.
The apostle Paul tells us to keep our focus on Christ. Since we "have been raised with Christ"—baptized in His Name, our sins have been buried with Him, and our resurrected life is already assured in Him. So let's live that life right now, for all its worth, because our destiny is already secure in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Life in Christ is an out-of-the-gutter kind of life. It's a life that turns its back on sin, immorality, guilt, and ignorance. Redeemed from that, we move into the streets, addressing life's realities with forgiveness, compassion, and purposeful service. With our focus on the things above in Jesus, we are free to serve God and the people we love.
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 my neighborhood when I was young, there were 20 guys on the block. We had football teams, hockey teams, basketball teams, baseball teams. There were so many guys playing, sometimes you didn't even get picked for a team. When that happened to me, it made me want to get even better.
And here's the point: if you weren't picked right away, you still had to be ready. You still had to watch every play and listen to every call because if someone got hurt or tired, your name might get called. "All right, Greg, you're in!"
You had to be ready to go because the ball could be coming to you; there was a block you had to make, 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—to get not only our heads—but our hearts and our bodies—into the game.
And if I hear the message of Colossians rightly, Paul is saying God has already chosen you in Jesus. So with your head in the clouds, keep your heart and mind pressing on for Him.
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.
Reflection Questions:
- Did you learn any "life lessons" from playing sports as a kid? What were they?
- What do you think the apostle Paul meant when he said the Christian's life is "hidden with Christ in God"?
- Do you feel like you're alert and ready to act when life throws you an opportunity? Can you give any recent examples?
This Daily Devotion is excerpted from "Get Your Head in the Clouds," a message by Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Did you learn any "life lessons" from playing sports as a kid? What were they?
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