“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)
Paul delivered words of wisdom that were designed help believers grow into the image of Christ, to gain spiritual maturity. The path to spiritual maturity does not involve learning spiritual secrets or following the law or adopting an austere lifestyle. The way we grow in Christ is by putting off our old way of living and thinking and think like Jesus. When we became Christians we died to the old self and became new creatures in Christ. This death is epitomized by baptism. Baptism graphically proclaims that entry into the kingdom of God only comes by death. This death must take its effects over every aspect of our passions, lusts, and selfish desires. This process takes patience for it takes time and the disciplined work of the Holy Spirit to accomplish as He motivates us to set aside the old ways and put on the new.
And in this new life we are joined to Christ and so joined to all other believers as well. Men and women, slave and free, black, white, yellow and brown we are all equal in Christ so we should treat everyone accordingly. We are to focus on being tender-hearted and kind toward all people. We are to forgive always even as we have been forgiven. We are never to seek our own agenda. This may disturb us because it will mean we will usually have to quietly accept abuse, scorn and reproach from our fellow human beings when we are really tempted to justify and defend ourselves to prove others wrong. The good Christian realizes however that his sense of worth and identity come not from what others say or think about us, or even what we think. Our sense of worth comes from Christ.
So when we speak our mind in conversation or social media, why do we do so? Do we do it want to show our knowledge, maturity, or excellence? Do we seek to justify ourselves? Do we want others to feel bad? Or do we really want to help others by asking for God’s blessings on all, even those we do not agree with? If so we must be careful that what we say and when we say it is tempered by love and humility, as well as the awareness of our own sinful imperfection. They must see Jesus in us.