I’m Too Distracted with Life to Meditate on Christ

Audio Transcript

We start out a new 7 days wanting at the distracted coronary heart. What do we do when our hearts are way too distracted to emphasis on Christ? Two listeners requested it, Pastor John. To start with is Tess. Tess writes, “Hello, Pastor John! Thank you for this kind of an wonderful and special system to minister to people’s hearts by this podcast. When it arrives to environment my brain on the matters of Christ, like it says in Colossians 3:2, I know how to preach truth of the matter to myself and remind myself of God’s guarantees in Scripture. However, when I imagine about my ex-boyfriend dating a single of my expensive mates that have both of those walked away from the Lord a short while ago, my head is so set on that 1 issue, I simply cannot target on the term. How can I practice my distracted mind absent from this planet and its concerns and stresses, and as a substitute set my whole gaze on Christ himself? I’d like some perception on this.”

And then Michelle from Canada writes in: “Pastor John, you have no idea how helpful this podcast has been for me. Thank you for responding to every dilemma with thoughtfulness and enjoy. Often I have difficulties slipping asleep, and what’s helped me the most is daydreaming about factors that will probably hardly ever take place to me. I think about my aspiration property with lavish home furnishings, traveling to distant spots, being a CEO of a company, and so on. Despite the fact that it aids me tumble asleep, I’m still left sensation guilty that wondering about the Lord and what he’s doing in my genuine lifestyle doesn’t convey me the same peace. I’m now locating that these imaginary scenarios eat me for the duration of my day-to-day program outside of rest — all through my commute to work, having completely ready in the morning, cooking, and additional. Specified that the Bible tells us to ‘Set your minds on factors that are earlier mentioned, not on things that are on earth,’ in Colossians 3:2, is it a sin to daydream in these approaches?”

These two inquiries the two increase a problem about Colossians 3:2 — namely, “Set your minds on items that are previously mentioned, not on matters that are on the earth” — but they issue to almost reverse methods of having difficulties with this verse.

Losses and Goals

Tess is having difficulties with the managing assumed about anything she has lost (a boyfriend and more), and Michelle is having difficulties not with a thing she has missing, but a thing she dreams of obtaining (a dream property, touring, remaining a CEO). The very truth that location our minds on issues that are over can be hindered by each regrets and by dreams is pretty instructive for us. It’s instructive for the reason that it reminds us that the heart of our challenge is not what we experienced and misplaced or what we under no circumstances had but ideal to have. The issue is further.

It’s identical to the instruction we get when we understand that remaining rich and becoming inadequate may the two be characterised by getting greedy and covetous. The man or woman who has a great deal may perhaps have faith in and like his possessions, and the human being who has little may possibly crave earthly factors with as considerably enthusiasm as a abundant individual enjoys them. So the essence of the difficulty is not in the prosperity or the poverty. The essence of the challenge is in the coronary heart and what it needs and wherever it rests. That is what I would say we find out from Tess and Michelle. The essence of the issue is not that one thing has been misplaced or one thing has not but been acquired. The essence of the difficulty is deeper.

Our Amazing Id

In equally situations, setting the brain on points that are earlier mentioned is hindered by a recurring pattern of assumed — in a single scenario, a pattern of believed about what she experienced lost, and in the other situation, a pattern of thought about what she doesn’t still have and desires of getting. And I imagine if we browse Colossians 3:1–4, the Lord will show us what may well be the typical, deeper root of the challenge here. So let’s read it.

If then you have been lifted with Christ, seek out the points that are above, in which Christ is, seated at the proper hand of God. Established your head on issues that are earlier mentioned, not on points that are on earth. For you have died, and your lifestyle is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your daily life seems, then you also will look with him in glory.

Now, these text are simply just breathtaking. They are spectacular in what they present us about the fact of who Tess and Michelle are and who Jesus Christ is.

Who We Are

So, think about 5 matters that Tess and Michelle need to know about them selves:

1. They have died (verse 3). Due to the fact of their union with Christ by religion, their aged, unbelieving, rebellious, perishing self died when Christ died.
2. They have been lifted with Christ from the dead (verse 1). They are a new development in Christ. This is not one thing to be realized, but anything that has took place to them. God has carried out this.
3. The essence of their new existence in Christ is hidden with Christ in God (verse 3). They are as genuine and as secure as Christ is in heaven.
4. Their lifestyle is not only concealed with Christ in God, but Christ himself is their life (verse 4). Their lifestyle is as indestructible as Christ for the reason that he is their daily life.
5. At the coming of Christ in glory, Tess and Michelle will show up with him as the eternal, glorious beings that they definitely are, even even though very couple folks can see that in them now.

Individuals are 5 staggering realities that Tess and Michelle need to have to know about themselves.

Who Christ Is

And right here are the four realities about Christ in people verses:

1. Christ is alive forevermore (verse 1).
2. Christ is ideal now seated at the right hand of God (verse 1). He is a coruler of all matters in the universe.
3. Christ is now the everyday living of his people (verse 3). All our new, eternal existence flows from him and is composed in our union with him.
4. Christ is likely to surface on the clouds with fantastic glory to build his kingdom (verse 4), and with him, all his men and women will glow like the solar with his kingly glory.

Established Your Minds

Now, embedded in these nine truths is this: “Set your minds on matters that are earlier mentioned, not on items that are on the earth” (verse 2). That’s embedded in these glories. And what I’m suggesting is that the deeper situation that Tess and Michelle are dealing with, and all of us deal with, is that they may perhaps be trying to obey this exhortation — to established their minds on points that are previously mentioned — without the need of receiving a clear, deep, enjoyable grasp of these nine superb realities about themselves and about Christ.

“It’s tricky to established your intellect on anything if that a thing is not obvious and wonderful in your brain and heart.”

In other words, it is really hard to established your thoughts on a thing above from your losses and your dreams if that one thing that you are seeking to established your mind on is not obvious and great and gorgeous and appealing in your mind and your coronary heart.

Reservoir of Glory

Now, I comprehend anyone is heading to say to me, “But how does that aid them, because they are declaring that views about loss and thoughts about desires are specifically what is holding them from environment their minds on the greatness and the natural beauty and the desirableness of these realities? So you haven’t stated anything at all valuable, Piper.”

Now, my reaction is that it’s not very like that. Let me clarify. When I lie awake at night time, realizing that I need to have slumber, and it’s not coming, and I’m tempted to established my thoughts on something earthly that I want or that I regret, what can help me flip my head towards items that are above is that I have devoted important time and power on a couple passages of Scripture to penetrate through to the clarity of the greatness and the attractiveness and the desirableness of the truth that is there.

“Devote sure situations to make a reservoir of elegance and glory and greatness with a few passages of Scripture.”

In other phrases, I never expect all of that operate to transpire on my pillow. The instances when I will need to immediate my imagined absent from anxieties and earthly cravings is not the time for executing the critical business enterprise of being familiar with texts and penetrating by means of them to fantastic and gorgeous truth that can conquer my wandering feelings.

So, my recommendation for Tess, Michelle, and all of us is that we commit particular moments to make a reservoir of beauty and glory and greatness and desirableness with a several passages of Scripture, so that when in the training course of the working day or evening we try out to set our minds on things that are earlier mentioned, we never have to fill that reservoir at that instant. It’s previously there. We can question God, “Father, as I recite this verse, or as I recite this passage now, trigger me to see — to seriously see — and savor and stand in awe of the greatness and the magnificence and the desirableness of matters that are earlier mentioned.”