Colossians 3:2, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”
Col. 3:2 paraphrase: “Through the enabling ability of God by His faith in you, habitually (present tense active voice) set and commit (imperative mood), your thought patterns 2 Cor. 10:5, orientation, heart purpose Rom. 1:5, and direction on things that are heaven-based, things that are spiritual in Christ.”
The word affection can mean,
- to feel, to think
- to have an opinion of one’s self, think of one’s self
Set…mind (5426) (phroneo from phren = literally the diaphragm and thus that which curbs or restrains. Figuratively, phren is the supposed seat of all mental and emotional activity) refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect itself (that is the Greek word nous). Phroneo includes a person’s affections and will as well as his reasoning. In other words phroneo refers not simply to intellectual activity but also to direction and purpose of heart.
The Greek verb tense is present tense, active voice, imperative mood. This means the individual sets his or her opinion of themselves habitually over and over again in a committed fashion.
The next question is why would I set my affection on things below? Possibly because my value is where I place it. Reminds me of Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I believe the Lord was addressing motive once again.
I have discovered that at times, the “phroneo” of the old man attempts to take responsibility for other people’s feelings and doesn’t want to hurt them. In turn, this puts pre-eminence with that person. This is idolatry. Wow, look at 3 verses down in Col. 3:5, “…which is idolatry.” This also reminds me of the motive behind Another gŏs’pəl. That is to please man and his ego.
My mother died when I was 13. My father was an alcoholic and workaholic at times. I am beginning to see the correlation here. A little boy would naturally take responsibility for his parent’s feelings because he doesn’t want them to leave or abandon him. During my childhood, I recall saying I felt like the parent. I was a nurse to my handicap mother and a co-worker of support for my father when he would binge drink. As a child, the thought came and went that my mom may die one day. I was not emotionally connected with my father until years later. Overall, I also felt this was unfair and bore resentment towards my parents. Now, the Lord has put His understanding, grace and love in my heart for my mom and dad. I am thankful for them in my life and have no regrets. It is what it is. I’m sure this is a redundant story on the planet. I am not alone. Thank God. Father, thank you for your Son.
The lie is this, “If you take responsibility for others feelings and/or cater to this then they will not leave you.” This is a lie from the pit of Sheol. In naivety, ignorance and fear, the old nature believed this lie and in fear established this fear-based control pattern to avoid hurt and pain, but in reality it causes so much more.
The truth and reality is in Jesus, Eph. 4:21, and the truth is people will leave if they want to leave regardless of what you say or do. In Christ, our emotional welfare is not rooted or founded in man, but the Last Man or Adam, Christ.
The writer of Hebrews talks of a rest provided for God’s people. The word says the truth sets us free. The Truth says, “I will Never leave you or forsake you.” If that is true and it is then He is more than sufficient. Also, trying to be responsible for other’s feelings or emotions is coercive and ultimately selfish. Some might say a form of witchcraft. Hey, watch it. Oh well, I said it.
In Christ, we are dead to these old earthly types and patterns that the world says we should adhere to.
Colossians 2:20-23, “If you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations– “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using–according (intrinsicly) to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
Christ sets us free from us. Rom. 7:24.
