On Things Above

This post was written by TeenPact Student Body Senator Isaac Richardson of Missouri.

I was an easily distracted child. I can’t count the number of times my mom gave me a school assignment to then ten minutes later find me outside jumping on our trampoline and not doing school. As I have grown older, I still get distracted by things, but in a different way.

Throughout the Bible, God warns us to not let the things and circumstances of this earth distract us from Him. One of my favorite examples of this is found in Colossians 3:2-3 where Paul tells us to “set your mind on things above and not the things of earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

As children of God, He calls us to adopt a lifestyle of having the Kingdom of God as the first thing on our minds and to forsake the things of this earth, because they are temporary and will pass away.

So how do we put that call into action?

I would encourage you to meditate on and memorize God’s word. That’s been so helpful to me in so many situations when I’ve been overwhelmed by everything life throws at me. When we have a strong relationship with God as our spiritual foundation, we can easily see His presence during tough times.

Then make a mental choice to examine your life and surrender anything that distracts you from Him. Some things that have distracted me are earthly possessions, people’s opinions, and wanting to be liked. It takes some discipline, but when you alleviate those distractions, it has an extremely positive effect on your walk with Him.

Finally, rest in the fact that God has every good intention for his Children. As it says in Colossians, our lives our hidden with Him, so let nothing that happens in life take our attention off of Him. Set your mind on things above!

Senator Isaac Richardson