Colossians 3:1 tells believers that, because they have been raised with Christ, they should keep their attention fixed on heavenly realities rather than on the passing concerns of this world. The verse is a call to direct your desires and priorities toward Christ, who is already reigning in heaven. The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Colossae, a congregation he had not personally founded but whose faith he cared for deeply, reminding them of what their new life in Christ requires.
If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1 (WEB)
What Colossians 3:1 Means
The verse begins with “If then,” which links it to what Paul has just said in chapter 2. Because you have died and risen with Christ through baptism and faith, a new reality has begun for you. The “then” is important: the command to seek heavenly things is built on a fact already accomplished, not on a condition you must earn. Paul is not asking you to become raised, but to live like someone who already is.
“Seek the things that are above” describes an orientation of the heart and mind. To seek something means to pursue it with effort and longing, the way a person searches for something valuable they have lost. “Above” refers to the heavenly sphere where God rules, and the next phrase makes clear that Christ himself is the center of that sphere. The verse does not promise that life will be free of struggle or that heavenly thoughts will come easily. It describes a steady direction of pursuit, one that Paul expects believers to choose again and again.
The Context of Colossians 3:1
The letter to the Colossians was written by Paul, traditionally identified as its author, to a church facing pressure from teachers who promoted special spiritual knowledge, rules about food and festivals, and forms of worship that drew attention away from Christ. Paul’s answer throughout the letter is that Christ is supreme and sufficient, and that believers already share fully in his life. Chapter 2 warns against being distracted by empty philosophies, which makes the call in chapter 3 to focus upward a direct response to that danger.
The verses that follow, Colossians 3:2 through 4, expand on the same idea. Paul says to set your mind on heavenly things, reminds believers that their life is hidden with Christ in God, and promises that they will be revealed with him in glory. Read in this setting, Colossians 3:1 is the opening line of a short argument: because your life is secure in Christ, you can and should let that hope shape where your mind rests.
Key Phrases in Colossians 3:1
Romans 6:4
We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
(WEB)
This verse describes believers being raised to walk in newness of life through the glory of the Father, providing the same foundation for a risen life that Colossians 3:1 assumes. Reading it alongside Colossians 3:1 helps you see that the call to seek heavenly things flows from the reality of your resurrection with Christ.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
(WEB)
Jesus teaches his listeners to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, with the promise that other needs will be provided. This parallels Colossians 3:1 by placing God’s kingdom at the center of desire and priority, showing that seeking what is above is a central thread of Christian discipleship.
A Short Prayer From Colossians 3:1
Father, thank you that I have been raised with Christ and that my life is secure in him. Forgive me for the times I have let my attention drift toward things that cannot satisfy or last. Turn my mind upward to where Jesus sits at your right hand, and help me to seek his kingdom and his glory in the choices I make today. Let my affections be shaped by the hope of what is to come, and let my daily life reflect the reality that I belong to him. Amen.
