earthly things

There’s a lot going on this week. I’m in summer theater and have practice three nights, plus lines to memorize. I’m also busy at work; our seasonal demand is peaking and there are several big projects on my desk. I have a dozen or so meetings, and Dawn is gone for the week so I get to learn once again how much she contributes to the ease of my days. You could say I have a lot on my mind.

But do I have the right things on my mind? My thoughts right now are all about life in the next week, when Paul advises this, in Colossians 3:1-5: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

I’ve often read this as related to the goals or end purpose of my life; in other words, to live ultimately for God’s purposes and to work toward my own sanctification. Today, it spoke to me of my everyday wants. Today, I heard Paul telling me to stop feeling harried by my schedule and look instead to the reasons for all the things that fill my days.

Because if I’m doing it right, summer theater and making paint are part of my ultimate purpose. They’re ways that I try to make this world more beautiful, to restore goodness where sin brings ugliness. Each of my meetings and all of my work will bring opportunities to make people smile, to serve people, to bring a little blessing into other lives. Every moment will be a chance to see people through God’s eyes and offer them what he would give.

If I have my mind set on earthly things, like finding leisure for myself or squirreling away more for my retirement, I’ll miss all that. I’ll miss the chance to grow, becoming more like Jesus and less like the man I used to be. And I’ll miss the blessing that comes from blessing others, that true joy that makes every day a sunny day regardless of the weather.

It starts in my mind; what is my focus? What can I do to make sure that focus stays on things above?