One-Year Bible Reading Plan  : Seekers & New Believers |  June 30 | Colossians Chapter 3: Set Your Affection on Things Above 

🦌 Opening Today’s Reading 

Dear brothers, sisters, and friends, peace be with you in the Lord!

Welcome to today's reading journey! Today, we are exploring Colossians Chapter 3 together.

In the middle of our daily routines and work, it is easy to become overwhelmed by temporal anxieties, conflicts, or worldly desires. How can a believer live out a transformed life with heavenly perspective in the midst of everyday responsibilities?

Let's pause and take a quiet moment. Bringing a heart eager for spiritual renewal, let's step into today's scripture to see how Paul exhorts us to set our minds on heavenly things, put off the old self, and put on the new man rooted in Christ's love and peace.

📖 Context Snapshot 

Where are we today?

Colossians Chapter 3 provides practical guidelines for the believer's transformed life and relationships:

1. Seek Things Above (Colossians 3:1–4): Since believers are risen with Christ, they are called to seek and set their affection on things above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, for their real life is hid with Christ in God.

2. Put Off the Old, Put On the New (Colossians 3:5–17): Paul instructs believers to mortify earthly sinful desires (such as uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, and lying) and to put on mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, and longsuffering. Above all, put on charity (love), letting the peace of God rule in your hearts and doing all things in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanksgiving.

3. Christian Household Duties (Colossians 3:18–25): Paul outlines practical counsel for wives, husbands, children, parents, servants (employees), and masters, emphasizing that whatever we do, we should do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.

💡 Today’s Scripture Verse  - Colossians 3

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

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

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

🌟Daily Heart-Check:  From "Earthly Cares" to "Heavenly Living" 

• A Heavenly Perspective: Being risen with Christ changes how we view daily challenges. When we align our affections with God's perspective, temporary anxieties lose their grip on our hearts.

• Love as the Bond of Perfectness: Among all virtues, love binds everything together in complete harmony. Letting Christ's peace rule our hearts enables us to extend forgiveness and patience in our daily relationships.

• Redefining Our Work: Whether doing household chores, studying, or working in an office, shifting our motivation to doing it "as unto the Lord" gives every task eternal value and purpose.

🎵 Response Song :  

🙏 Closing Prayer

Loving Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your life-giving word today in Colossians Chapter 3.

Thank You for granting us new life in Christ. Lift our eyes above the temporary distractions and worries of this world, so that we may set our minds on things above. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to put off all bitterness, anger, and self-centered habits, and to put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness, meekness, and love.

Let the peace of God rule in our hearts, and fill us with spirit-led gratitude. Whatever task we set our hands to today, teach us to do it heartily, as unto You and not unto men.

We place our families, workplaces, and loved ones into Your hands. May Your peace and unifying love reign in our lives.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!