Colossians 3:2 tells us “set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”  The phrase “set your mind” is translated “set your affection” in the King James Version. The word is phroneō, a verb; according to Vines Dictionary it “implies moral interest or reflection, not mere unreasoning opinion.” Strong’s defines it as to exercise the mind, to be “mentally disposed, more or less earnestly in a certain direction.”

This tells me that we are not just to think about heaven (and all that happens there, and all it represents) occasionally, as in “we’ll get there someday, but right now I’m concerned about what’s happening here.” Instead, we are let “the things above” be the driving force and motivation of all that we think and do. It should be our constant mental companion, influencing our decisions, our mood, our attitude, and undergird every goal or purpose we set out to accomplish.

It is to have an eternal perspective that doesn’t just “distract us” when we’re feeling unhopeful, but instead, is the foundation of our very lives and the reason we get up every morning.

We are told not only to set our minds on things above but to “keep seeking” the things above (Colossians 3:2). What are these “things”? Where is “above”?

It is “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” It is the place where God is worshipped fully for who He is, and where His power and authority are recognized by all who approach Him. To “set our minds” and “keep seeking” the things above, we must make adjustments in line with these two things: worship and obedience.

We need a spiritual calibration!

Many things will not operate correctly or perform their intended purpose if they are not calibrated. To calibrate is “to standardize (something, such as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors; it is to adjust precisely for a particular function (we calibrate a thermometer); it is to measure precisely (carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine). Essentially, it means to measure against a standard.

We need to calibrate our lives to worship God in all His glory.

We need to calibrate our lives to recognize His power and authority over us in all things.

This is what it means to “set our affection” or “set our minds” on things above. Worship and obedience become the defining standard of everything we think and do. We continually re-align ourselves with what is happening in the throne room of God.

Have you “calibrated” your mind lately? Full disclosure: my mind needs a “spiritual recalibration” every day! The bumps and trials and irritations of life, and just the day to day responsibilities that fill up our moments will cause our minds and our affections to be “off” what is most important. We need to “re-set” the measurements of what is important and line up our thoughts with the things above.