Colossians 3:1-2
If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above — set your minds there, not on earthly things.
If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
What Colossians 3:1-2 means
The instruction rests on something already true: *if you have been raised*. Paul is not asking for an achievement but for a life consistent with a status the reader already holds. Identity comes first, and effort follows from it rather than earning it.
Setting the mind is deliberate work, and Paul assumes the default drifts downward. The next verses explain why it matters — your life is hidden with Christ in God. Memorising both verses keeps the command attached to its reason.
Related topics
Questions about Colossians 3:1-2
What does Colossians 3:1-2 mean?
It calls those raised with Christ to pursue and think about the things of heaven, where Christ is, rather than fixing their minds on earthly concerns.
Does setting your mind above mean ignoring daily life?
No. The rest of the chapter is intensely practical — speech, work, family, forgiveness. It means letting heavenly reality govern how earthly life is lived, not withdrawing from it.