Ch. 496 - Holy Living

'Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.'
[Colossians 3:1-2]

As I was reading through Colossians this evening, these verses really spoke to me. I think that because the school year has finally begun [ok, well, basically begun] that my focus has quickly shifted. This summer I was not setting my heart and mind on things above. I should have. I needed to. But I didn't. It's as simple as that. As I've said before, I just didn't care. Yet now that I'm back at school, it's 'time' to turn back to God and be a good girl who reads her Bible... a girl who is 'joyful always, prays continually, and gives thanks in all circumstances'... a girl who 'does not let any unwholesome talk come out of her mouth'... a girl living for God, and only God. Easier said than done. But that's what it's about. Trials. Joys. Working at it. The journey. The relationship. The foundation. But I can't live a cyclical life. I can't go back and forth. Die daily. Live for Him. Be forgiven. Be loved. Always.

My heart and mind really do need to be set on Christ continually. If I want growth, God will plant the seeds when my motives and desires are true and based on His will for me. It's time to raise the bar for setting expectations of myself. Because I think I've reached a point where my expectations are simply not high enough. They're too easy to reach.

It's a new year.
And with the new year comes new goals.
New experiences.
New hurts.
New dreams.
New prayers.
New tribulations.
New hopes.
New challenges.
New deceptions.
New friends.
New encouragement.
New gossip.
New thoughts.
New calls.
New life, it seems.

And I thank God for this, because a renewal is taking place. God is cleansing my heart and I feel that His doing so will better enable me to take up my cross daily and more readily do what Colossians 3:1-2 says to do.

What a beautiful God I have and know.