Our Light Affliction

Our affections aren't supposed to be on earth, what does that mean exactly?

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

We put ourselves first, our physical selves, our emotional selves. We cannot seem to help but concern ourselves with… well, ourselves. Hardships are things to be despised. Suffering - despise it. Depriving ourselves- despise it too. Those who choose to purposefully suffer are people we consider strange. We hear of people opting to do away with worldly things and we label them as being not quite right. Why? Because we live in a society where self-serving is expected.

Our affections are to be in heaven, not here on earth.

Our eyes need to be turned away from ourselves, and we need to live in the Way of Christ- God first, others before ourselves.

Psa 119:37  Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

We need to savor the THINGS that are of God, not the things of mankind.

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

We must walk after the Spirit, not the flesh, minding things of the flesh. We need to be spiritually minded, if we are only ever mindful of the things of this world it will lead to death, not life.

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

We cannot LOVE this world. We were NEVER intended to love this world, but to LOVE GOD and EACH OTHER.  This world and EVERYTHING in this world is going to pass away, it's not going to on to eternity. What is going on to eternity is the LOVE of God and the love that God extends enabling us to love of others through Him.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

When we say we just want to be happy, or we just want our children to be happy, what exactly are we equating that happiness with? What does being happy mean? Do we want our children happy in materialism? Do we want our children happy in self-serving pursuits? Do we want our children happy in their jobs? All of those questions can be posed toward ourselves too. If we are equating happiness with living in and for those things is it any wonder we aren't happy, and our children aren't happy? If we are happy in those things- if we've been given all our creature comforts and are satisfied, we've been deceived. How many people are content though to just live day to day pursuing whatever enjoyment they can squeeze out of life, without giving a single thought to anything else? If you can have something that guarantees you a future of pure happiness wouldn't you grab that up instantly. If you could guarantee your children and their children future happiness wouldn't you do so? If you were told that you had to stop seeking the temporary happiness of your life now, and instead seek a future happiness, would you? Setting our affections on the things above is placing our lives right now in the hands of the Savior and enduring on earth whatever hardships come with the knowledge that a future happiness in Him is guaranteed.

2Co_4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory