08/21/2026
A Spiritual Perspective: Purpose
How do you see life? How do you see the people around you? How do you see the world? So often, our perspective is limited. We view life through the lens of ourselves, our families, our needs, our careers, and the physical things around us. But what if we learned to see life from God’s perspective? What if we learned to view the world around us the way that God does? Over the next few weeks, we are looking at Colossians 3:1-4 and asking how we can develop a spiritual perspective on life. The first word we need to consider is purpose. Why are we here? As Christians, what is our purpose in this life?
Paul begins Colossians 3:1 by saying, “If then you have been raised with Christ.” What does it mean to be raised with Christ? Just a few verses earlier, Paul explains that we are “buried with him in baptism” and “raised with him” through faith in the powerful working of God (Colossians 2:12). When we are buried with Christ in baptism, we do not remain in that grave. We are raised up with Christ. Paul is speaking specifically to those who have been raised with Christ. And if we have been raised with Christ, our purpose in life is different. We are no longer supposed to live simply for the physical things of this world.
Paul gives us two commands in Colossians 3:1-2: seek and set. First, Paul says, “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Where is Jesus? He is not lost. He is not hiding from us. He is exalted above all things, sitting at the right hand of God. And if we have been raised with Jesus, our purpose is to seek Him. Every day, we should be trying to grow closer to Him, become more like Him, and take another step toward Him. Our purpose cannot simply be physical. We are called to pursue spiritual things.
Second, Paul says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Sometimes we are so focused on what is immediately in front of us that we cannot see what is above us. We want to seek spiritual things on the outside while our minds remain focused on earthly things on the inside. It does not work that way. If we want to seek Jesus, we have to set our minds on Jesus. Our lives must be changed from the inside out. Romans 12:2 reminds us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:18 that we should look “not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” Why? Because the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
So, what is your purpose? Some people would say, “I am here to take care of myself.” Others would say, “I am here to take care of my family.” Others live to make money, build a career, gain status, or leave their mark on the world. Those things may have a place in our lives, but they cannot be our ultimate purpose. If we have been raised with Christ, our purpose is much greater than anything this world can offer. Seek the things that are above. Set your mind on the things that are above. Those two words, seek and set, change the way we see everything. When our purpose is spiritual, our perspective becomes spiritual. We begin to see ourselves, our families, our relationships, our careers, our struggles, and our decisions through the eyes of God. The question is not simply, “What do I want?” The question is, “What does God want?” The question is not simply, “What is best for me right now?” The question is, “What will help me draw closer to Jesus?” If we want to develop a spiritual perspective, it starts with understanding our purpose. We are here to seek Jesus and to set our minds on the things above. When we learn to see life from God’s perspective, we make very different decisions. After all, God sees the whole picture. And if we will trust His perspective, we will begin to see life the way it was meant to be seen.
