Raised With Christ
08/27/2026
There are days when the biggest battle isn’t around us, it’s where our mind keeps going. We can belong to Jesus, trust Him, love Him, and still find ourselves consumed with things that won’t matter nearly as much as we think they do. Paul reminds us that following Jesus doesn’t just change where we’re going someday. It changes what we’re living for today.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
Colossians 3:1 ESV
That little word “if” can almost make this sound uncertain. But Paul isn’t questioning whether these believers belong to Jesus. He’s building on what he has already told them.
In the previous chapter, Paul talks about being buried with Christ and raised with Him through faith. So when he gets to chapter 3, his point is basically this:
Since you have been raised with Christ, live like someone who has been given a new life.
That’s where this gets personal.
Because it’s possible to have a new life and still spend a whole lot of time chasing old things.
Old approval.
Old grudges.
Old habits.
Old measurements of success.
Old fears.
Old ways of deciding what makes us valuable.
Jesus didn’t save us so we could simply become slightly improved versions of who we used to be. We’ve been raised with Christ. Something fundamentally changed.
Paul says, “seek the things that are above.”
He isn’t telling us to ignore life down here. You still have to go to work. You still have bills. You still have relationships that require attention. The grass still needs mowing, the car still needs gas, and somebody still has to figure out what everybody is eating for dinner.
Seeking what is above doesn’t mean becoming disconnected from everyday life.
It means living everyday life with a different priority.
You can go to work seeking what is above.
You can raise your children seeking what is above.
You can run a business seeking what is above.
You can handle conflict seeking what is above.
You can spend money, make plans, have conversations, deal with disappointment, and even walk through success while seeking what is above.
The question becomes:
What am I really chasing?
That can be uncomfortable to answer.
Sometimes we discover we’ve been chasing recognition more than faithfulness. We want people to notice what we’ve done.
Sometimes we’re chasing control. We want everything arranged the way we think it should happen before we’re willing to trust God.
Sometimes we’re chasing comfort. We’ll obey Jesus as long as obedience doesn’t cost too much.
And sometimes we’re simply chasing more.
More money.
More attention.
More influence.
More stuff.
More opportunities.
None of those things automatically make someone a bad person. But they make terrible gods.
Paul gives us something better to pursue.
Christ.
Notice where Paul directs our attention: “where Christ is.”
That’s the center of the whole verse.
Christianity isn’t primarily about becoming better at following religious rules. It’s about belonging to Jesus so completely that He begins rearranging what matters to us.
The closer we walk with Him, the more our priorities begin changing.
Things we once desperately needed suddenly don’t seem quite as important.
Things we once overlooked suddenly matter deeply.
People matter more.
Forgiveness matters more.
Integrity matters more.
Generosity matters more.
Obedience matters more.
Eternity matters more.
And sometimes you realize you’ve spent a lot of energy climbing a ladder only to discover it was leaning against something that never deserved that much of your life.
That’s why the next verse says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Where we repeatedly direct our attention eventually shapes our desires.
If I constantly feed comparison, I’ll eventually live dissatisfied.
If I constantly feed fear, I’ll begin making decisions based on fear.
If I constantly feed resentment, bitterness will start feeling justified.
But if I keep bringing my attention back to Christ—His Word, His character, His purposes, His presence—something starts changing inside me.
Maybe today the question isn’t, “Do I believe in Jesus?”
Maybe the better question is:
Does the way I’m living show that Jesus has changed what I’m seeking?
Because if we have been raised with Christ, we shouldn’t spend our lives digging around in the graveyard for the things He already called us out of.
There is a new life to live.
Look higher.
Seek Christ.
And then carry what you find in Him into everything you do today.
Action Steps
* Identify what has been getting most of your attention lately. Ask yourself whether it is drawing you closer to Christ or simply consuming you.
* Redirect your mind intentionally. Before checking social media, email, news, or everything demanding your attention, spend a few minutes with God.
* Make one decision today from an eternal perspective. In a conversation, financial decision, conflict, or opportunity, ask: What would honoring Christ look like here?
Challenge for the Day
Before making one important decision today, stop and ask: “Am I seeking what I want, or am I seeking what honors Christ?” Then act accordingly.
Prayer
Jesus, You have given me a new life, but sometimes I still chase things that belong to the old one. Redirect my heart today. Help me want what You want, value what You value, and recognize the things I have allowed to become too important. Teach me to seek You first and carry Your priorities into everything I do. Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
There are days when the biggest battle isn’t around us, it’s where our mind keeps going. We can belong to Jesus, trust Him, love Him, and still find ourselves consumed with things that won’t matter nearly as much as we think they do. Paul reminds us that following Jesus doesn’t just change where we’re going someday. It changes what we’re living for today.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
Colossians 3:1 ESV
That little word “if” can almost make this sound uncertain. But Paul isn’t questioning whether these believers belong to Jesus. He’s building on what he has already told them.
In the previous chapter, Paul talks about being buried with Christ and raised with Him through faith. So when he gets to chapter 3, his point is basically this:
Since you have been raised with Christ, live like someone who has been given a new life.
That’s where this gets personal.
Because it’s possible to have a new life and still spend a whole lot of time chasing old things.
Old approval.
Old grudges.
Old habits.
Old measurements of success.
Old fears.
Old ways of deciding what makes us valuable.
Jesus didn’t save us so we could simply become slightly improved versions of who we used to be. We’ve been raised with Christ. Something fundamentally changed.
Paul says, “seek the things that are above.”
He isn’t telling us to ignore life down here. You still have to go to work. You still have bills. You still have relationships that require attention. The grass still needs mowing, the car still needs gas, and somebody still has to figure out what everybody is eating for dinner.
Seeking what is above doesn’t mean becoming disconnected from everyday life.
It means living everyday life with a different priority.
You can go to work seeking what is above.
You can raise your children seeking what is above.
You can run a business seeking what is above.
You can handle conflict seeking what is above.
You can spend money, make plans, have conversations, deal with disappointment, and even walk through success while seeking what is above.
The question becomes:
What am I really chasing?
That can be uncomfortable to answer.
Sometimes we discover we’ve been chasing recognition more than faithfulness. We want people to notice what we’ve done.
Sometimes we’re chasing control. We want everything arranged the way we think it should happen before we’re willing to trust God.
Sometimes we’re chasing comfort. We’ll obey Jesus as long as obedience doesn’t cost too much.
And sometimes we’re simply chasing more.
More money.
More attention.
More influence.
More stuff.
More opportunities.
None of those things automatically make someone a bad person. But they make terrible gods.
Paul gives us something better to pursue.
Christ.
Notice where Paul directs our attention: “where Christ is.”
That’s the center of the whole verse.
Christianity isn’t primarily about becoming better at following religious rules. It’s about belonging to Jesus so completely that He begins rearranging what matters to us.
The closer we walk with Him, the more our priorities begin changing.
Things we once desperately needed suddenly don’t seem quite as important.
Things we once overlooked suddenly matter deeply.
People matter more.
Forgiveness matters more.
Integrity matters more.
Generosity matters more.
Obedience matters more.
Eternity matters more.
And sometimes you realize you’ve spent a lot of energy climbing a ladder only to discover it was leaning against something that never deserved that much of your life.
That’s why the next verse says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Where we repeatedly direct our attention eventually shapes our desires.
If I constantly feed comparison, I’ll eventually live dissatisfied.
If I constantly feed fear, I’ll begin making decisions based on fear.
If I constantly feed resentment, bitterness will start feeling justified.
But if I keep bringing my attention back to Christ—His Word, His character, His purposes, His presence—something starts changing inside me.
Maybe today the question isn’t, “Do I believe in Jesus?”
Maybe the better question is:
Does the way I’m living show that Jesus has changed what I’m seeking?
Because if we have been raised with Christ, we shouldn’t spend our lives digging around in the graveyard for the things He already called us out of.
There is a new life to live.
Look higher.
Seek Christ.
And then carry what you find in Him into everything you do today.
Action Steps
* Identify what has been getting most of your attention lately. Ask yourself whether it is drawing you closer to Christ or simply consuming you.
* Redirect your mind intentionally. Before checking social media, email, news, or everything demanding your attention, spend a few minutes with God.
* Make one decision today from an eternal perspective. In a conversation, financial decision, conflict, or opportunity, ask: What would honoring Christ look like here?
Challenge for the Day
Before making one important decision today, stop and ask: “Am I seeking what I want, or am I seeking what honors Christ?” Then act accordingly.
Prayer
Jesus, You have given me a new life, but sometimes I still chase things that belong to the old one. Redirect my heart today. Help me want what You want, value what You value, and recognize the things I have allowed to become too important. Teach me to seek You first and carry Your priorities into everything I do. Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
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