So, I’ve been studying Colossians for the past few months in the ladies’ Bible Study I host, and this week we talked about Col. 3:1-11 and setting your heart and mind on Christ and not on earthly things. Said another way, keep an eternal perspective instead of focusing on your present circumstances. What really matters in the long run? I can so easily get caught up in the day-to-day tasks I need to complete and worn down in the endless list of projects to tackle, that I let the to-do-list steal my joy.
One of my takeaways from Colossians 2 was that living a life in Christ means being rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in faith and overflowing with thankfulness. This doesn’t sound like it would result in being worn down and weary does it? But we must remain connected to Christ in order to be built up. Growth and overcoming sin and even ministry do not happen in our own effort. Thankfully, Colossians 1 says we can ask God for the knowledge, understanding and power to live in a way that is worthy of Him and bears fruit.
It all boils down to seeking and abiding in Him. For that we need time in the Word and prayer— not because we “have to” to earn something, but we “have to” to live rooted and built up, strengthened, thankful and effective lives that glorify God. I so often lose sight of that being the end goal, and I find myself striving instead to complete my to-do-list.
Please pray for me that I could daily “set my heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and set my mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Col 3:1-2
There are several things affecting our field right now, circumstances that weigh on all of us. In PNG, they call these sorts of hard circumstances “heavies.” Please pray for:
- Our Field leadership and the countless hard decisions they make in a day.
- A national fuel shortage that affects our tribal church planters’ ability to go in and out of their tribal locations.
- Laborers. It is the Lord who sends laborers to the harvest field. Please pray and ask him to send more teachers, doctors, nurses, technical services people, IT people and church planters.
- Health. There are so many health needs taking people off the field.
- Our local community affected by flooding. And right now, it’s raining AGAIN.
- Pray that, as a team, we’d be able to set our hearts and minds on things above and enter into these earthly circumstances with an eternal perspective.
As part of New Tribes Mission-PNG, Numonohi Christian Academy exists to support NTM-PNG and NTM-PNG missionaries by providing a Christ-centered, comprehensive education program that meets the needs of missionary kids and local community students to allow missionaries to focus on the ministry God has given them. Contact personnel-director@ntmpng.org with interest or see www.ntmpng.org/nca for current needs and job descriptions.