Set Your Mind on Things That Are Above

February 12, 2026 — Krystal Craven
A man in a flannel shirt doing yardwork with a smile on his face with a thought bubble that shows a white robed figure seated in brilliant white. Overlaying the image are the words "Set Your Mind on Things That Are Above".

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)

Paul calls us to seek the things above and set our minds there—but this isn’t just a nice suggestion. This command is given in the present tense, meaning it’s meant to be our continual way of life. Yet, interestingly, the verb is in the passive voice. That means we’re not the originators of this action—God is—but we are active cooperators. God works; we respond.

Being raised with Christ and hidden in Him means our identity is secure. It should stir us to willingly join in His work, turning our gaze from the fleeting shadows of earth to the eternal realities above. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to fix our thoughts on what is true, pure, and praiseworthy—things that align with heaven’s perspective.

God is the Author and Finisher of our faith, but He doesn’t force our cooperation. Every day, we choose whether to align our thoughts with His or drift with the currents of this world. To set your mind on things that are above is to make a conscious, ongoing choice to forsake the pull of the temporary and anchor yourself in the eternal. In doing so, we live not just for Christ, but with Christ—securely hidden in Him, awaiting the day our lives are fully revealed in glory. So if you have been raised in Christ – seek the things that are above.

A man in a flannel shirt doing yardwork with a smile on his face with a thought bubble that shows a white robed figure seated in brilliant white. Overlaying the image are the words "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)".