Set Your Mind!

I. Introduction

After Paul finishes warning the Colossians in chapter two of men who try to do physical things with spiritual benefit, (self-mutilation and circumcision), he admonishes them at Colossians 3:1–2 “1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” to set their minds on the spiritual.

Set Your Mind?

Setting our minds is something that every good mother tells her children to do. “Son, you can do whatever you set your mind to do!” How many times have we all heard that from a parent?

My mom probably should have waited a little later to tell my brother this as he tended to set his mind to things that made her pull her hair!

It can be difficult to accomplish some things, but we will find that setting our mind on them will aid us in achieving whatever it may be.

Hellen Keller is an excellent example of this. She was deaf and blind. Literally locked into her body without a way to communicate. However, she was determined to find a way and set her mind on doing so. Ultimately she found a teacher named Anne Sullivan who was determined along with her. She began drawing the alphabet on her hand. It took a long time, but ultimately was finally able to teach her the concept of water. Once this first concept was taught, the sky was the limit. She became the first blind/deaf person to achieve a Bachelor of Arts degree. Setting our mind can lead to amazing things.

Thomas Edison is another excellent example of someone that set their mind on a goal and persisted. He wanted to make a type of electric light source as it would revolutionize how people lived. He tried over 6000 types of filament, but none would work for nearly long enough. Ultimately, he made a bulb that lasted 13.5 hours. Then he began the process of refining it and made one that would last 1200 hours which made it commercially viable. He is famous for saying, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Humans can do amazing things when we set our mind to accomplish them.

However, adults, like children, often set their minds to do things that they should not!

At Genesis 9:6–7 “6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. 7 “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”, Noah and his family were told to go out into the world, be fruitful and multiply, and populate the earth.

However, at Genesis 11, God had to teach mankind another lesson. They had decided to build a tower to Heaven so that they would make a name and avoid being scattered over the earth. (Genesis 11:4 “4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” )

Notice God’s words at Genesis 11:5–9 “5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. 7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.” They would be able to accomplish anything they “purposed in their hearts to do” or set their minds to do.

God had given a command for the people to set their mind to, populate the earth. However, man decided to set his mind to his own pursuit. God confused their language and humbled this people who sought to exalt themselves.

We have the same options upon which we may set our mind! (Colossians 3)

Paul tells us to set our minds on the things above, not below.

Why? Because we have died with Christ and our life is hidden in Him. We are dead to this world! If we have put to death our fleshly self, then we should no longer set our minds on such things.

What then are these “above” things and how do we set our minds?

II. Set Your Mind

We must purify our minds.

As Paul speaks of the need to set our minds, he acknowledges that the biggest part of the battle is in our heads. So often we try to deal with various sins and have a great struggle in doing so. The reason is because we have not started with the source, our mind.

Sin starts in our head as mentioned by Jesus.

Look at Matthew 5. At 5:21 He tells us that murder is not the problem. Hate is. When we allow ourselves to hate, the symptom of murder comes forth. At 5:27 He tells us that adultery is not the problem. Lust is. When we allow ourselves to lust, the symptom of adultery comes forth. If we do away with the root causes in our minds, we will not end up committing the action!

II Samuel 13 records the wickedness of Amnon. He lusted after Tamar to such a degree that it made him sick until he violated her and ruined both of their lives!

So often we try to figure out why we have such a hard time doing what is right. But then when we look at what is being fed into our minds and it is little wonder. We spend our time watching sexualized and violent things on television. We spend our time doomscrolling shorts and filling our head with all the “news” that is generally nothing more than reports of the vile things that men do to one another. Then we wonder why we have such a problem doing what is right!

May we all honor Paul’s words at Philippians 4:8 “8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” and remember that the battle begins in our heads!

B. We must set our minds to do what is right.

At Colossians 3:5 “5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” Paul lists various actions from which the Colossians must abstain. Immorality (fornication), impurity (uncleanness), passion, evil desire, and greed (covetousness) which amounts to idolatry. As he told the Corinthians, they used to walk in these various sins (vs 7), but they were no longer to do so. God’s wrath would come upon those sons of disobedience!

We must set our mind to do what is right! There are Bible studies to be had with my family, bible studies to have with my friends, acquaintances and coworkers, there are people I know that are in need that I should be helping, there is the church here at Mauriceville that needs you to fill your role as a member and not only be here to worship, but also to help with the teaching, maintenance, and evangelistic efforts.

The point being this, there is so much good that needs to be done, but it will only get done if we set our minds to do what is right rather than to continue our focus on what is wrong!

I know it takes a lot of energy to change paths, but let’s set our minds to do so!

C. We must set our minds to say what is right.

At Colossians 3:8 “8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.” Paul shifts his focus to the speech of the Colossians. Just as important on setting our minds to do what is right, so it is important to say what is right!

I remember at my first work there was a young man there who constantly tried to argue that words were just words and they did not matter. Thus he figured he could talk like he wanted!

Words matter! Not because I say so, but because Paul inspired by the Spirit say so!

Uncontrolled anger and malice would lead to slander, abusive speech and lying.

Some of the greatest damage that can be done is not done with hands but with our tongues!

The lying tongue of Satan brought the downfall of mankind. (Genesis 3)

The slanderous words of false witnesses put Jesus on the cross. (Matthew 27)

We must learn to control our tongues before we do irreparable harm! If we set our minds that we will say only those things that are good and fitting, then we will be successful! At Colossians 4:6 “6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” Paul tells the brethren to let their speech be seasoned with salt, speaking only things that are fitting. That is my desire in life, to learn when to keep silent, when to speak, and what to say whenI do!

Let’s set our minds to speak righteously!

III. Conclusion

Colossians 3:4 “4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” tells us that if we set our minds on the things above, then one day we will be revealed along with Christ in glory!

Colossians 3:10–11 “10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” says we have put on a new self. Is every thought of our mind Heaven or this earth?