We are simultaneously seated with him in heavenly places and walking this earth. We live in a dual reality.We are seated with him in victory far above pricipalities, powers, rule and dominion, halleluya. By him we rule and reign in life(Rom 5:17). We overcome whatever that we face through Him. We must live life from this vantage point, looking down into the earth. We must keep our eyes fixed on things above and not things on this earth(Col 3:2). This helps us to have heaven’s perspective on any matter we encounter. This world is limited and when we only focus on this reality, though another realm is open to us, with the position in heavenly places next to our Beloved, Jesus, we will be limited.
The Contrast of Perspectives: Earthly vs. Heavenly
Approaching life from a higher perspective ensures our eyes and mind stay on Him. When the Lord fed the the large crowd he asked Philip where they could get food to feed them all.Philip whose mind was trapped in this earthly realm gave an earthly perspective and
answered, “For everyone to have even a little, it would take more than two hundred silver coins to buy enough bread.”(John 6:6-7) The Lord, whose perspective was heavenly looked up. Though we walk on this earth, we must not be confined to this earth’s limitation,potential,resources and supply.
The Call to Single-Minded Devotion
No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him(2 Tim 2:4). Believers are encouraged to adopt a soldier’s focus, prioritizing their commitment to Christ above all else. By minimizing secular distractions and trivial pursuits, they preserve the clarity and energy required to execute their divine mission with excellence . We need to audit ourselves to see if we are planted in this earth realm and governed by it or if we are still living by faith. As the scriptures say, the just shall live by faith(Hab 2:4). When we face an obstruction in the road be it in the form of physical pain, do we quickly reach for the analgesic or do we use our authority? Do we call so and so and after all else fails do we only think to pray? Even the Lord Jesus said when He comes will he still find faith on this earth?
The Subtle Influence of Worldly Programming
The dangers of being immersed in this earthly life is that it dulls us of our spiritual reality. We get accustomed to its ways. We approach life from its vantage point. We adopt its ways. Television channels are called TV programs for a reason and that is to program us into thinking in a way that is against biblical morality. It is to desensitize us so that what was unambiguously morally wrong is accepted or atleast accepted by the majority, in order to normalize wickedness. Many of us learned about using foul language, infidelity, sexual immorality, lying, magic etc from television and movies. Am I saying television should be thrown away? Am I saying all our focus should be heavenward? We are required to exercise caution and moderation when we watch it( though throwing it away isn’t absurd either) and we are to be heavenly minded and earthly relevant.
Claiming our Spiritual Inheritance
Furthermore, when we are entirely submerged in this realm we forfiet our inheritance. We experience things that aren’t even our portion. The Bible says we are strengthened with all might according to his glorious power to endure all long suffering and patientlce with joy!(Col 1:11). But how many of us believers go through hardship and we are just as depressed as the unsaved around us. Melancholy grips us but our portion is joy in tribulation! Even Paul maintained a calm disposition when the ship was falling apart but the others who were on the same ship were distressed(Acts 27: 33-37) This is available to us when we live from our heavenly occupation with the Lord.
The danger of losing our fervor for the Lord
Lastly when we live a distracted life, spending a bulk of our time in earthly pursuits without restraint, we place ourselves in danger of nullifying and numbing our fervor for the Lord and spiritual matters. When secular entertainment becomes more compelling than the Word of God, it indicates a heart that has become distracted. We may find that the Bible starts to get boring but a series on Netflix is far more interesting. Logging onto Instagram or whatever choice of distraction we prefer, is far more appealing. To maintain our spiritual vitality, we must intentionally prioritize our relationship with the Lord over the fleeting allure of digital distractions and worldly series .