Having seen the results of the November 3rd, 2026 elections that evening, I woke up the following morning and providentially found myself at Colossians 3:1-2 for my morning devotion:
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
First, before pursuing the spiritual application, let’s just take a breath and realize that political shifting during the midterms is very common. Did you know that Barack Obama lost 63 House seats and 6 Senate seats in 2010 and lost 13 House seats and 9 Senate seats in 2014? Clinton lost 54 House seats and 8 Senate seats in 1994. And even the great Ronald Reagan lost 26 House seats in 1982 and 8 Senate seats in 1986, with a negative net loss in the House and the Senate for both of his midterm elections.
In fact, every single presidential midterm election since 2006 has resulted in a negative net loss of House and Senate seats for the incumbent president. So, if you want to focus on American politics, the focus should be on the 2028 presidential election. You have two years to pray faithfully.
That being said, if there was a good time to get our heads and our hearts back to the things above, today would be a good day to start the process. Obeying this command doesn’t mean that we live in a cave or that we stick our fingers in our ears to escape reality. Nor does it mean that we become indifferent to what is going on around us. It is reasonable to feel sad and even experience a sense of depression over a rampant rise of destructive wickedness.
But we need to guard our hearts to ensure that we are not stubbornly holding on to that sadness.
There can be a “things above” perspective that is easily dismissed when we are a bit too grounded in the things of this earth. When we perceive that evil is increasing and our nation is becoming more dark, let’s pause and spend some time with the Father in deep gratitude that we are not a part of it; that he has spared us and opened our eyes to the gospel!
No matter how bad things get down here we are forever seated with Christ in heaven (Eph 2:6). No matter how bad things get down here we are commanded to fix our hope completely on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). The darker it gets the louder our thankfulness can be for His mercy that prevents us from being swallowed up like the rest of the world. We are so blessed!
A mind set on the things above can refilter earthly circumstances and realize that the darker the environment, the brighter a light is in that environment. Countless multitudes are not blessed like we have been in Christ and yet have strong values. They are going to greatly struggle with how our country and culture is degrading because they do not have the hope of the gospel.
When things are well and prosperous, they may not have anything pushing them to surrender their lives to Christ. But now, they may well be primed for a biblical worldview founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is an excellent opportunity for us to be that shining light, not just in terms of sharing the gospel but in terms of also living it out in front of them with how we process these types of worldly developments. And there is a spectrum of grace for each of us in how we demonstrate it.
We all go through these events in different ways and stages. Our response can be candid in the moment, “I am so sad about what has happened and I am working through it but I will trust that Jesus is my King and in control.” Or it can be at the other end of the spectrum, whereby we proclaim like the sons of Korah in Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.” Either position exalts our God and displays the faith He has granted us.
The apostle Paul’s heart for us with respect to setting our minds on things above is that we commit ourselves to spiritually ingesting the gospel and all that it means and grants to us; to abide in His Word and His love with intentionality and purpose of heart so that we experientially grasp what God has lavished upon us.
When we do this in quantity and quality of time, His Spirit will do a work in us that sets us apart from the world and empowers us to endure as an effective soldier of Christ. Yes, we engage with the world, but the peace of Christ is what rules our hearts in our everyday thoughts, motivations, and conduct.
Here are some of the “above things” we can pursue with greater energy than the earthly things we encounter:
1. Christ-Like Character (Col 3:12–14) and the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–23). It is critical to remember that these cannot be acquired through personal effort. The branch does not produce the fruit. The vine does. Christ-like character and the fruit of the Spirit come in His timing while abiding in the vine of Jesus. It will not just happen because we profess faith. It comes when we humble ourselves and put in the time to fight against our flesh and drive our mind and heart to be in agreement with His living and active Word. When we spend this kind of energy and focus on the administration of Christ’s kingdom above and beyond anything we spend toward such temporal things as U.S. politics, then we will reflect that citizenship more than our earthly one.
2. Eternal Perspectives (2 Cor 4:18). Paul encourages believers to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” What are we truly longing for? What does the make-up of our lives speak to? Hebrews 11:24-26 provides an excellent example of having an eternal perspective while in the present: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”
3. A Pure Thought Life (Phil 4:8). Paul gives a pretty straightforward account of what believers are to fill their minds with: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It is stunning to me how often we all rationalize our commitment to do the opposite. I still remember the title of a sermon I heard about 35 years ago: “Rationalize or Repent.” That’s it; those are our two choices all of the time. The funny thing is we all have prolific expertise in meditation. It’s just that it is applied to anxious thoughts. But the skill is there for us to put it in reverse.
It is an indisputable blessing to be an American citizen. But how much more magnified is our blessing of being a citizen of heaven?! Because of Jesus, we can turn evil on its head and be used by God for redemptive purposes. Because of Jesus, we have everything pertaining to life and godliness in order to cultivate Christ-like character, Spirit fruit, eternal perspectives, and a pure thought life that is pleasing to God and that conquers fleshly struggles. How incredible is it that we can dwell on the eternal truth that every saint at Creekside Bible Church is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
