Serious question seeking good answers from mature Christians with insight how do I do this ? read below?

Question

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, keep looking for the good things of heaven. This is where Christ is seated on the right side of God. 2 Keep your minds thinking about things in heaven. Do not think about things on the earth. 3 You are dead to the things of this world. Your new life is now hidden in God through Christ. 4 Christ is our life. When He comes again, you will also be with Him to share His shining-greatness.
I've been a full on Jesus lover for 56 years but now in my retired days i come so much closer to Him as I have so much more time and I want to know in REALISTIC TERMS. how we keep our bills paid, and houses in order but focusing really totally on God ??? tell me about your experiences or views.

commentary on the verse The Colossians exhorted to be heavenly-minded;

As Christians are freed from the ceremonial law, they must walk the more closely with God in gospel obedience. As heaven and earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be followed together; and affection to the one will weaken and abate affection to the other. Those that are born again are dead to sin, because its dominion is broken, its power gradually subdued by the operation of grace, and it shall at length be extinguished by the perfection of glory. To be dead, then, means

this, that those who have the Holy Spirit, mortifying within them the lusts of the flesh, are able to despise earthly things, and to desire those that are heavenly. Christ is, at present, one whom we have not seen; but our comfort is, that our life is safe with him. The streams of this living water flow into the soul by the influences of the Holy Spirit, through faith. Christ lives in the believer by his Spirit, and the believer li

Answer 1

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

I look at my life here on earth like I am a migrant worker. I am like an illegal alien from the Kingdom of God. I am preparing for a wedding day as the bride of Christ.
As I prepare. I go about doing GOD's will and helping my family and others along the way. I have a full time job and find that it is a tent making thing and also a huge ministry. My ministry is wherever GOD leads me. I will retire as soon as GOD says I'm done. I have a great 401K I start drawing on it the moment the Lord calls me home. My bills and my house I take care of by instinct. So far I find that if I seek GOD and his righteousness then all these things are added.

Maybe I have a lot more to learn. I have not walked with Jesus as long as you have.
May the Lord richly bless you.

Answer 2

I have done years of Bible Study and Community Bible Study Fellowships...learning information, attending church, being involved in committees and leadership roles, yet I hungered for something more, not having any idea what the "more:" was All during this time, the church bureaucracy trampled my heart and so I fled, yet still lived a life of questioning what did God want from me? What was my purpose, how could I serve more fully. I prayed for close to three years and then in my local newspaper, an article appeared about Spiritual Training consisting of Christian practices, disciplines, and learning how to open my HEART first and foremost as Christ did...I knew this was the answer to my prayers. For 28 weeks I was in the Companions in Christ class, a time of spiritual formation of my heart...to become and live and breathe as the Christ here on earth did. The next year I co-facilitated the class as it had so much depth and breadth, richness and fullness. Out of that class, which Spirit led to be all women, we chose to stay together and work on Forgiveness, an eight week class that has turned out to be an eight month class.

There is a difference between information/bible study, and formation, which opens the heart and seeks to find more of a balance between head and heart, and transformation. I do not want to make any assumptions...so ...

Have you truly given your life over, surrendered, submitted, yielded and do you do so on a daily basis...Here I am Lord, I am yours, Your will not my will....I trust in you and know in my heart of hearts who you bring to me today, and what you bring to me today has gone thru your hands first. When you have breathed and lived into this...you will know in your heart you are being of service.

You might also consider a spiritual director. Know you are on target....yet you might want more practical ways to live into your faith so that at tne end of the day you know you have lived heaven on earth, as the Christ is here...and also explore gratitude and loving relationships...

If you would like to talk more I can be reached at [e-mail]

I am a Spiritual Life Coach.

Answer 3

Don't make this complicated.
We go to work do a good job and at the end of the day go home.
Take the money you earn pay your bills and forget about them. In your time off keep the word of God in your heart and mind so that you don't do anything stupid or against Gods laws.
Being retired like you are probably gives you a ton of time to dwell on everything. Find a hobby, help those who are less fortunate, Remember that idle hands (And minds) are the devils play things.

Answer 4

Focusing on God doesn't mean not paying bills and being a steward of the physical things. If you avoid all physical things, that's not Christian, that's buddhist.

The Bible says to work to buy your bread. Unless you're independently wealthy, then preach the Gospel. Even those who work should preach the Gospel as well, but the point is that you keep your bills paid by being a steward of your finances.

Answer 5

The answer is to be "in Spirit and in Truth." If it is the real thing, it will provide both what you need on earth as well as what you desire in you walk with God.

But unfortunately, this is probably the central part of the Kingdom Gospel that has been lost over time. Christians generally feel we know all about these things, but I think it is more like what is described in this online resource...

Answer 6

Don't worry about your bills, or health, or things of this world. Worrying is like sin, when you worry about things you take your focus off the Lord. He will provide you with your every need. Pray at night and ask him to take your worries.
Our Pastor says that some people become so focused on God that they are no good on earth. The Lord wants you to enjoy your life on earth. He gives us many pleasures to enjoy while we are here. Enjoy your health, family, food, good company, etc. Let the Lord take your troubles!!

Answer 7

Being "in" the world does not mean ignoring ones physical needs for the sake of the spiritual. If you are truly living life from a soul-centered eternal-perspective (as opposed to a personal-egocentric mortal-perspective) many doors will become open for you to take care of your physical needs.

Answer 8

Hmmmm, fixated on just one of His words, are you?

Of course you are obligated to take care of your physical, emotional, mental and psychological needs.

Remember the part where He says to love your neighbor as yourself? Well, that presupposes that you first love yourself. Not taking care of that self is certainly not showing any love, is it?

So, take care of yourself to the best of your ability. Then take care of your neighbor when your neighbor needs it. Just always, always do so in the spirit of love and you will find that you have done well, a good and faithful servant to the Lord.

Answer 9

I do not think the passage is telling you to ingore responsibilities....because even Jesus stopped to eat dinner and do ordinary daily tasks...

our bodies and minds can be busy at times in the physical but our spirits can still be with God...I sit here every morning hoping to find someone who needs to hear what God would say....I think about Him in the middle of the night and I ask him for help....when i go about my business doing physical tasks like washing dishes... i think about him...when i look around at many unnecessary things that could take my time...i decide not to do them...just to have peace....my favorite place is my car... i have music worship CD's in there..and I love to sing along....it is like i am one with the Lord at that time....I do not even want to get out of my car when i get to my destination.

focusing on God does not mean straining our minds to have thoughts...it just means keeping our minds open in case our precious Lord wants to speak to us...and even when he doesn't, the openness brings peace while we wait..

many times we do have a choice about what we do....we can then choose to be with God, or do something on his behalf or we can choose to join in the extra activity....yesterday for me was saturday.... i could have gone shopping and other places....i spent the entire day being quiet and reading from Jeremiah and Ezechiel, and thinking about what was written...I took little breaks but never left the house until sundown....the block of time with scripture filled me with thoughts about God's ways with man...and how sinful people are...and how we disappoint God all the time.....yet we expect him to do the miraculous for us and provide....it also fillled me with thoughts about the end times and what was happening now.....and how the prophesies were being fulfilled..........the more we read...the more thoughts will fill our minds......

Answer 10

"do unto other as you would have done to yourself" is the only profound spiritual teaching that the Lord gave us ,this is the most important instruction that Christ gave to the world of men,this will give your soul an entrance to heaven,but you will return to earth when your balance is paid in heaven