Acts 9:5-9
Acts 9:5-9 "’Who are you, sir?’ Saul asked. And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men with Saul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice, but they saw no one! As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days. And all that time he went without food and water.”
Colossians 3:2-4 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Our pastor has been doing a series of sermons through the book of Acts, and when he went over Paul’s conversion, something struck me that wasn’t part of the sermon. Paul remained blind for three days, without food or water. Jesus Himself was dead for three days, blind to this world and without food or water.
There are no coincidences with God, especially not in Scripture. But this lesson is a bit of a challenge when I try to figure out what it means in my life. Almost nobody has a conversion like Paul’s, where we’re blinded or we fast for three days. I certainly didn’t.
But Paul tells us in Colossians (and lots of other places) that we died. Our lives are not our own. Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. Hidden, so we can’t very easily take them back, though we try sometimes. We are not our life now. Jesus is.
It’s hard to remember, though, because I live here on this earth, so my mind is on earthly things. I blog about politics and culture and weird animal news. I’m working toward traveling as a career, but I still have my day job that takes up most of my time. I haven’t left myself much time for setting my mind on things above, but I need that more than all the rest of what I do. I’m thankful for writing the Bread, because it forces me to focus on Christ, who is my life.
“Set your mind…” is active. It’s forceful, determined, and for me at least, it takes determination to do it. What about you? Where is your mind set? Where is your life hidden? In Christ, or wrapped up in your own two arms? Remember that at your conversion, you died. Give your life back to Christ, so one day you also will appear with Him in glory.
May you live in Him, for Him.
Brenda
Colossians 3:2-4 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Our pastor has been doing a series of sermons through the book of Acts, and when he went over Paul’s conversion, something struck me that wasn’t part of the sermon. Paul remained blind for three days, without food or water. Jesus Himself was dead for three days, blind to this world and without food or water.
There are no coincidences with God, especially not in Scripture. But this lesson is a bit of a challenge when I try to figure out what it means in my life. Almost nobody has a conversion like Paul’s, where we’re blinded or we fast for three days. I certainly didn’t.
But Paul tells us in Colossians (and lots of other places) that we died. Our lives are not our own. Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. Hidden, so we can’t very easily take them back, though we try sometimes. We are not our life now. Jesus is.
It’s hard to remember, though, because I live here on this earth, so my mind is on earthly things. I blog about politics and culture and weird animal news. I’m working toward traveling as a career, but I still have my day job that takes up most of my time. I haven’t left myself much time for setting my mind on things above, but I need that more than all the rest of what I do. I’m thankful for writing the Bread, because it forces me to focus on Christ, who is my life.
“Set your mind…” is active. It’s forceful, determined, and for me at least, it takes determination to do it. What about you? Where is your mind set? Where is your life hidden? In Christ, or wrapped up in your own two arms? Remember that at your conversion, you died. Give your life back to Christ, so one day you also will appear with Him in glory.
May you live in Him, for Him.
Brenda
posted by BreadBakers at 10:23 AM
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