easter isn't over yet

This past week I've been meditating a lot on Jesus. Yes, it's been Easter, and naturally you tend to contemplate His death and resurrection then. But I think the thing that has challenged my heart most is how Christ's death and resurrection should change us. The gospel shouldn't be just a celebrate-on-Easter kind of gospel. It should be a daily-rejoicing, thought-consuming, heart-adoring kind of gospel. Jesus is just as good of news today as He was yesterday. Why don't we celebrate him today too?

Paul writes in Colossians 3:1-3:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Paul doesn't let us get away with saying, "Ok, Easter break was fun. Now back to school." No, he gives us a response to the resurrection. "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. " It's like Paul is saying, don't let Easter become a one-weekend event. Since Jesus is alive and you're alive in Him, you've got to set your heart and your mind on Jesus and the hope you have in Him continually. Meditate on Him. Let eternal things consume your thoughts. Don't think too highly of school, money, or friends, that your mind wanders from heaven and Christ who is reigning there. Let Christ be good news to you even today. Keep celebrating!

Richard Baxter says it this way, "Why are not our hearts continually set on heaven? Why dwell we not there in constant contemplation?…Bend thy soul to study eternity, busy thyself about the life to come, habituate thyself to such contemplations, and let not those thoughts be seldom and cursory, but bathe thyself in heaven’s delights."

I've always loved the words Paul writes in the next verse "...Christ, who is your life..." Every time I read this passage I have to ask myself, is Christ really my life? Yes, I'm saved. I've died to the old self and am hidden in Christ, but do I live like Christ is my life? So often, I find myself getting distracted by the things of this world that I lose sight of Jesus. When Christ is your life, everything is about Him. School, work, play, or whatever it is...it's all about, because of, and for Jesus. Everything. I believe Paul is trying to show us that celebration of Jesus, which we tend to save for Easter, ought to be our life. It ought to be what we're living for.

Easter isn't over yet. Let's celebrate Jesus again today!