Redirected, Reshaped, and Refined
Colossians 3:1–4
There’s something comforting about having GPS in your car—until it tells you to “head north” and you have no idea which way that is. I once had a compass in my car that kept flashing “calibrating.” It told me to drive in circles until it found true north. But even when the calibration was off, the needle still pointed somewhere. The danger? It was pointing in the wrong direction, but still moving—still active—still misleading.
Sometimes our lives are like that compass. Designed to point toward God, our hearts are meant to seek heavenly things. But sin, distractions, and worldly priorities act like magnetic interference, distorting our spiritual direction. We may still be in motion—but we’re off course.
In Colossians 3:1, Paul writes, “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” This single verse is a call to recalibrate. To be redirected, reshaped, and refined.
Redirected – A New Pursuit (Colossians 3:1)
Paul begins with “therefore,” connecting us back to the resurrection power he outlined previously. We’ve been released from religious rules, human expectations, and hollow rituals. Now, we are raised with Christ. That resurrection doesn’t just mean we’ve been given a new status—it gives us a new direction.
To be redirected is to abandon old pursuits and adopt new ones. It is no longer about climbing the ladder of success or chasing cultural approval. Our aim becomes Christ. We are now spiritually resurrected, born again, and our focus shifts from earth to eternity.
What drives your life right now? Your thoughts, ambitions, energy—are they aimed at success, security, and comfort? Or have you been redirected toward the things above? Psalm 113:1 reminds us to praise the Lord from the rising of the sun to its setting. Our direction is upward—our pursuit is Christ.
But redirection is just the beginning. Once our lives are aimed at Christ, something deeper must happen.
Reshaped – A New Mindset (Colossians 3:2)
Paul writes, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” This verse moves from our desires to our thoughts. It is not enough to avoid sinful actions—we must think differently.
The phrase “set your mind” in Greek indicates an ongoing, active, continual resetting of our thoughts. Just like Romans 12:2, we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Discipleship is not just behavior modification—it is mental renovation.
The world trains us to think like consumers—evaluate everything by what we can gain. But Christ trains us to think like disciples—submit everything to what He commands. This reshaping isn’t instant. Like a sculptor with a chisel, God gradually transforms our minds, thought by thought, as we submit to His work.
What fills your mind in the quiet moments? What do you meditate on when you’re not busy? Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God’s thoughts are higher than ours. So let us surrender our thinking to Him and be reshaped for His purposes.
But even that is not the end of the transformation. When our direction and our thinking change, something more profound begins to take shape—our identity.
Refined – A New Identity (Colossians 3:3–4)
Paul continues, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
This is not just about perspective—it is about identity. You are not defined by your past, your struggles, or your successes. You are hidden in Christ. The old you is gone. The new you is held secure in the hands of your Savior.
This is refinement—not by fire but by faith. It is the process of being conformed into the image of Christ, even as we await the full revelation of that transformation when Christ returns.
Deuteronomy 11:21 speaks of heaven as a place fixed and secure. Are we living just to avoid hell, or are we confidently walking in the assurance that heaven is our home? This makes all the difference. It shapes our boldness, our joy, and our hope.
Conclusion – Set Your Compass to Christ
Remember the compass? It may look functional, but unless it’s rightly calibrated, it will lead you astray. That’s why we must remove the interference—the worldly magnets—and let Christ set our true north.
In Christ, we can be redirected by His resurrection, reshaped by His truth, and refined for eternity. This is not because we are experts at navigation, but because we follow the One who is our Life.
So recalibrate. Refocus. Set your compass to Christ—and walk in the glory that is already yours in Him.