Affections Above.

'When material things are under spiritual control they fulfill their proper subordinate role. Released from that restraint they manifest very quickly the power that lies behind them. The law of their nature asserts itself, and their worldly character is proved by the course they take.' -- From 'Love Not the World' by Watchman Nee.

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

When we set our affection on things on earth we misplace our affection in relation with God. How often we get so caught up in the things on earth. We live our lives as if the things around us are more important than spiritual things. We behave as if the things on earth are eternal, but they are not. Why do we place so much importance on earthly things? Why? I sit here and type on my laptop and know I place a lot of importance on my laptop. This machine holds a lot of photos, and each photo is a memory of my past. This machine holds a lot of my writings, blogs, studies, stories, emails with others. This machine gives me access to things I have saved in the cloud, and while it's true I can access cloud storage from anywhere, that's the point of putting things in the cloud, I have passwords saved, I have familiarity with the keyboard, I hold my laptop in high esteem and should it suddenly stop working, or be stolen I would be upset, I would be sad, I would mourn the loss of all that I keep on here. Things on this earth-- and my laptop is just one of the things I own. I have memories stored in many objects. In my baby box I have things from my childhood all of them kept for the memories they provoke and no other real reason. How many things do we keep strictly for the memories they give us.  When people lose all their possession in fires, they mourn the loss of the memory provoking objects they can never replace.  Our affections are all tied up earthly things, we need to loose those affections and set them on things above, things of God.

Watchman Nee wrote that 'when our material things are under spiritual control they fulfill their proper subordinate roles'.  All our material things need to be under spiritual control. Is this possible? It needs to be possible. As long as anything we own is not under spiritual control- subject to God's will- then we are allowing ourselves to get caught up in earthly things, worldly things.

Our affections need to be on the things above so much more than on any earthly thing.

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. 

1Ch 22:19  Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God

Psa 62:10  … if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. 

Psa 119:36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. 

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

Pro 23:5  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 

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. 

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. 

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.