“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” — Colossians 3:2
How do we set our minds on things above while life spins at a furious pace?
How do we keep from becoming distracted when the news changes by the minute and our attention is pulled in a hundred different directions?
How do we keep our hearts from being troubled when brokenness seems to press in from every side?
How do we choose faith over fear when life feels as though it is unraveling?
When Paul wrote these words, he was no stranger to suffering.
He wrote them from a prison cell.
Surrounded by walls.
Bound in chains.
Uncertain of what tomorrow would bring.
Yet the peace that steadied his heart wasn’t found in earthly freedom. His hope rested in Christ alone.
If I’m honest, I’m not sure those would have been the words I wrote from a prison cell.
But the truth is, many of us know what it feels like to live in a prison.
Perhaps not one with iron bars, but one with invisible chains.
Fear.
Anxiety.
Addiction.
Depression.
Grief.
The weight of living in a world of brokenness.
Friend, I know how difficult it is to lift your eyes when your heart is heavy.
When the headlines are loud.
When the diagnosis comes.
When the relationship fractures.
When the unanswered prayer lingers.
Control can feel safer.
But control asks us to cling to ourselves.
Faith opens our hands and clings to Christ.
The One who spoke galaxies into being, who hung the moon and scattered the stars across the night sky, also holds you close to His heart.
He can be trusted.
He never promised a life untouched by suffering.
But He did promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
He never promised we would avoid the valley of the shadow of death.
But He promised to walk every step of it with us.
As we remember His promises, our minds begin to rise above our circumstances.
Our eyes slowly lift from the waves to the Savior.
And the peace of Christ settles like the morning dew upon a weary soul.
Not because the storm has ended.
But because we remember the One who commands the wind.
When our minds are set on things above, our hearts discover that peace was never found in having control.
It has always been found in the hands of the One who holds all things together.
{If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also like this episode of The Love Offering Podcast, where Rachael chats with Whitney Lowe about her devotional Set Your Eyes Higher. If you’re feeling unmoored because you’ve taken your eyes off of what matters most, the hope you’re searching for is within reach–if you’re ready to look up. You can listen to the episode here.}
About the Author:
AnnMarie Gustke is a wife, mother of four, and the Executive Director of Agape Women’s Center in Merritt Island, Florida.
For more than a decade, God has given AnnMarie the privilege of walking alongside women facing some of life’s most difficult circumstances, including unexpected pregnancies, abuse, homelessness, addiction, and sexual exploitation. Through this ministry, she has witnessed the transforming power of the gospel and the faithfulness of God in countless lives.
AnnMarie’s passion is to encourage believers to know Christ more deeply and to see His hand at work even in life’s hardest seasons. Her writing weaves together Scripture, personal vulnerability, and stories of God’s redeeming grace, always pointing readers back to the hope found in Jesus Christ.
Whether serving women in crisis, leading outreach into the local sex industry, or writing from the quiet places where God continues to shape her own heart, AnnMarie desires to remind others that God is still bringing beauty from ashes and raising oaks of righteousness for His glory.
