“Set your minds on the things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2
Let’s unpack this verse a little bit. The things above mean higher not below. Sometimes we humans can get stuck in our emotions which are our lower selves…think below the stomach in the pit of your gut. We build and morph emotions there that can become complete illusions (not reality). We build this illusion of emotions until it seems REAL in our minds. We tend to camp here and live in this false reality for however long our pity party wants to last. This is not only nonproductive, but it is also harmful to our mind, body, and spirit health and well-being.
The bible verse above is so important to apply in our lives. We MUST keep our minds on the things above. Building to the mind of Christ should be our goal each day. The eternal and heavenly things, the Godly things which are productive and positive. When we start thinking about ourselves and what others we perceive have done to us, we are living in the lower realms which try to ensnare and trap us into the misery of the negative emotions.
If we are in Christ and He is IN US, then we should strive to die to our emotional selves. Let that stuff go! Don’t give unproductive emotions a chance to fester and overtake you, it serves no purpose.
You will grow into Christ more as you recognize your negative emotions and don’t give them energy, don’t enable, and coddle them. You are NOT anger, bitterness, resentment, hate, guilt, or shame. Christ is and YOU are peace, love, joy, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and forbearance. Galatians 5:22 Christ came to this earth and died for us to have a relationship with Him and to die to ourselves daily and become like Him. To have the mind of Christ, is to have his beliefs and outlook about ourselves and others.