We have a life and it’s hidden with Christ.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:1-17)

These commanding words above find their right place in the minds of every Christian asking, “What should I do…what should I be doing…?”

As Christians who are still found in earthly bodies, who are influenced by earthly mindsets, who are suffering earthly challenges, we almost find our earthly presence as our main enemy. No matter what we do, things simply do not seem to be adding up. We struggle daily to be having a life through the earthly means.We feel like we have an obligation to set our minds and hearts on earthly things, otherwise it seems like we’d be missing out.

And regardless of all the efforts we have put out year after year, it seems like we’re just running around going through the same issues year after year.

We have a life, but it’s hidden with Christ. Yet, we look for it daily through every apparent earthly realms.

Anxiety tells us that we’re on earth and might as well act like those who belong to earth. But we don’t belong to earth. We used to believe that anger, lies, greed, etc…were the requirements for survival on earth until we came to the knowledge that earth is not our destination. We want to be here for long but the longer we’re here the more we’ll feel that we belong. And the more we suffer here on earth, the more we realize that we truly do not belong to such hostile environment.

Set your minds on things above. Set your hearts on things above. Put to death idolatry. Let peace rule. Be thankful. Let the message dwell richly in you. Do it all, not in your name, but the name of Jesus. That’s the life from above.

For everything we find ourselves struggling with, things like “trying to make ends meet”, things like “trying to come to terms with the bad news of the day”, we find no other source of strength besides the fact that everything we long for are the things that are found only in Christ.

We have a life and it’s hidden in Christ. No matter how far we go seeking for any other life as an alternative, nothing will ever come close to the life, the hope, our means of existence which we have in Christ.

It’s tough when you find yourself not doing what others are doing. It’s tough when you struggle to define yourself by what you do rather than who you are in Christ. Not everyone knows Christ. Not everyone cares to know Him. Our identity, our life, can only be covert for now.

Our only words of consolation can therefore be:

“For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:1)

Many have followed greed to only see themselves in chains by sunset. Many have followed every evil desires to only themselves covered with shames by end of day. But those who follow Jesus by grace will never be put to shame for their Savior is able to save them and keep them.

We’re certainly strangers to the things on earth as much and even more than I would be a stranger to my home country, if I was to visit it today after almost 30 years since I had left it. But when Christ appears, all strange things will disappear to make way for the Creator.

We have a life and it’s hidden with Christ.

So if you have yourself struggling with earthly failures, just remember that you have a life and it’s hidden with Christ. If life burdens seem to be adding more and more day after day, just remember that you have a life and it’s hidden with Christ. If all your investments are now turning into debts, just remember that you have a life and it’s hidden with Christ. If the medications never seem to truly improve your health, just remember that you have a life and it’s hidden with Christ. If all your years of study only seem to make you a threat at the job interviews, just remember that you have a life and it’s hidden with Christ. If all your earthly hopes and dreams seemed to have been wiped away by natural disasters or economic downturns, just remember that you have a life and it is hidden with Christ. If those of earthly nature you were taught to trust, and lean on, and follow suddenly have turned on you, just remember that you have a life and it is hidden with Christ.

My friend, whatever life on this earth throws at you, I hope and pray in the name of Jesus that you and I remember that we have a life and it is hidden with Christ.