Just As He Said

Taking It Personally

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 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.
Colossians 3:1-4

What is your heart set on? In order to figure that out, you might look at how you spend your time and your money. You might consider what you talk about most often or what kind of goals and plans you have. You might even reflect on what you worry about the most. What is your heart set on?

King Davidā€™s heart seemed set on building a temple. Then God came to David through his prophet Nathan and told him ā€œno.ā€ But God didn’t leave it there. God focused Davidā€™s attention on the coming Savior, how Jesus would build a lasting house and a never-ending throne.

Can you relate to King David? Whatever life plans you settle into, does God allow things to unfold differently? And if so, do you take it personally?

When life plans donā€™t work out, it can send you spinning! You have to wrestle with uncomfortable questions, the biggest of which is probably ā€œWho am I now?ā€ Emotions run high. You might have questions galore. You know your heavenly Father is in control, but it can feel pretty personal that he would allow life to unfold in such an unexpected or unwelcome way. Instead of reacting with a huff and a stomp of the foot (there is forgiveness for that, too), you can pause and evaluate: What is my heart set on? Or maybe the better question is: What is Godā€™s heart set on?

Turning through the pages of Scripture, you see how God has personally sought you out. He set his heart on you as Jesus set his gaze toward Jerusalem and faced hell for you. He set his heart on you at your baptism, when the waters drowned you in your sins and raised you to life. He set his heart on you and made you his own dear child. When you face an unexpected future, you have the opportunity to remember what will never change: you are a child of God, hidden in Jesus.

This earthly life will always have an element of the unexpected as God uses all things to work for your good and pull you closer to him. When life doesnā€™t go as planned, you can take it personally in the best way. In those challenges, God hides you in Christ, sets your heart on things above, and strengthens you for the journey.

Remember how God redirected Davidā€™s gaze from an earthly temple to a heavenly throne? He does the same for you. As you spend time in his Word, he helps you zoom out to an eternal view. He puts into perspective how small your earthly struggles are in the grand plan of salvation. Yes, life will be hard. Yes, you will face the unexpected. You can take it personally because he makes sure that you will personally be before his throne with him in glory. The best is yet to come! Set your hearts on things above because God set his heart on you.

Prayer:

Lord of all creation, you intimately know my wandering heart and yet you still love me. Hide me in Christ so that my sins are covered. Fix my eyes on Jesus and my heart on heaven so that the challenges of this world do not overwhelm me. Keep me in my baptismal faith all my days, and bring me to be with you before the everlasting throne of heaven. Amen.

Written by Becky Foxen
Provided by WELS Women’s Ministry