Do you remember playing tug of war as a kid? 

I do.

Well, guess what?  

We’re still competitors in an epic tug of war.

You see, each day there is an unseen, internal tug of war for the affections of our hearts.

Our hearts are pulled between two extremes – between the things of this world and the things above.  

And unlike tug of war on a playground, who wins this competition is vitally important.  

Here’s why:

Our hearts are at the very core of who we are. The heart is the ‘control-center’ of our minds, our emotions, and our wills.  

If we allow our hearts to get pulled too far by the world, then the world essentially starts controlling us.  

It’s not just the blatantly sinful things that battle for control of our hearts. We must also contend with the ‘not-so-subtle’ pull from what we would consider the ‘good things’ of life that threaten to capture our heart’s affections.  

And that is what makes this tug of war so challenging!   

Aware of our internal struggle, Paul gives us some practical advice: 

“set your heart on things above.”  

Well, that sounds great, but what exactly does it mean?  

Let me make some brief observations: 

Intentional: To keep us from getting pulled by the tug of culture, we must live with intentionality.  The verb Paul uses for “set” is the same one Jesus employs when He tells His disciples to “seek first the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 6:33). Both “setting” and “seeking” don’t happen automatically. They are deliberate, purposeful actions. 

Having a consistent, personal time with the Lord is one way of intentionally pointing our hearts towards heaven. 

Identity: Setting our hearts is in response to the fact that we’ve been “raised with Christ.” We were “once dead in our transgressions and sins, but now we are alive” (Ephesians 2:4,5). As sons and daughters of the living God, our identity is rooted in Christ alone. So, it’s our great joy to live out our new identity, demonstrating that we belong to Him, not to the world.  

Repeated: This is not a one-time action, but something we must do every day of our lives. Truth be told, it really has to happen repeatedly throughout the day. Not only are our hearts prone to wander, but the challenges of life can easily knock us off course.  So, we have to set and reset our hearts as often as is necessary.  

Resetting our hearts can happen in any number of ways: 

• a silent prayer at our office desk
• reading a devotional in the afternoon 
• listening to worship music as we run errands

You get the idea.                                            

Ultimately, setting our hearts is a way of reminding ourselves that Jesus is in control, reigning over our circumstances at “the right hand of God.” 

And I don’t know about you, but my heart needs that reminder all of the time.  

I bet yours does too. 

So, why not seize this moment?

Right now, tug on the “rope” and set your heart on Him. 

Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director