Keep Looking Up!

March 6, 2023

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:15-17 NLT

My dad was well-known for two statements that fell from his lips consistently: “God is good!” and “Keep looking up!” The first statement is easily understandable. The second one was often assumed to simply mean “Keep encouraged!” But Dad meant far more than that. He meant, “Have your focus be one that will keep you encouraged and on track!” He was referring to Paul’s admonition to the Colossians recorded in 3:1: “Set your hearts and sights on things above!”

How? Paul and all the New Testament authors wrote to believers, explaining how to practically live out the abundant life Christ promised is ours. Paul’s letter to the Colossians is filled with the choices and decisions that will put us in the place we all desire. He not only tells us we must focus upward, but he gives practical directives on doing it. Here are just three of them.

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. When we focus on things of this world, our peace is stolen as we become wrapped up in the temporary, forgetting the eternal, unshifting foundation and identity we have in Christ. His peace must govern and have authority in our hearts. Turn your sights from worthless things; instead, focus on the goodness and sovereignty of Christ, your security and peace. The more you look to Christ, the more you will trust His plan for your life. You will keep your peace.

Let God’s Word live in your heart. Cherish God’s Word. It will always lift your eyes. We can’t have a helpful or true perspective if our primary input is the world around us. Just as you would regularly read love letters from a person who captures your heart, your affections will stay focused in the right place if you regularly read God’s letter to us, sharing and discussing it with others.

Cultivate a thankful heart. Thankfulness doesn’t always come easily or naturally. But as we choose to express gratitude in all situations, we find it fills us up and fuels us to live the life of joy. Gratitude reminds us of who we are and shifts our focus from our worries to God’s power. Keep looking up!

• Deliberately focus your sights up in prayer right now. Give thanks. Ask for peace. Say or read the above verses aloud.