Colossians 3:1-2, 12-17
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I have a lot of internal monologues. Sometimes my self talk is positive, and sometimes it’s angry and I vent and fume. We live in a world full of sin. Sometimes it’s me. The only way I have found to quiet my mind, and be productive is to “seek the things that are above.” The in-between passage lists attitudes or actions that are evil - anger, slander, malice, wrath. Believe it or not, there are things that really make me angry. I hope it is righteous anger, but not always, and how much do I just stew on stuff. I can set my mind on things of the earth.

Then I read the way out of that. Put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Patience is hard. Bearing with one another. Dealing with my imperfections or other peoples imperfections is tough. Am I really willing to forgive. to let things go, or do I hold on to it.

Can I put on love. Love for God, and God’s people. Do I love like Christ? He did turn over the tables in the temple that one time, but there was also that one time that he loved humanity, even in our sin, that he gave his life for us. Do I love like that?

When I get centered on the love of God, then I can live thankful. I can sing songs with thankfulness in my heart. I may not be thankful for my situation, but I can be thankful for Christ living in me and through me. I can be thankful for God’s presence in my life, that he will not leave me alone or forsake me.

When I can set my mind on that, I find myself living in peace. Living in God.

Let me pray.
God, thank you for loving us while we were unlovely. Thank you for loving us back to wholeness. We find moments or days when we are not feeling very loving. God the sin of the world, and our sin can easily get us off center. Help us to set our minds on you, and live as your people here in this place. Amen