“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” The things on the earth are our everyday experience – walking around, living our lives. By ourself, we can’t reach the sky, the stars, they’re something foreign to our everyday experience.
We are exhorted to put away the earthly things. Our goal should not be to live for this current existence, limited to the surface of the earth. Instead, living for an existence which is only within reach because of God’s grace, an existence motivated and bound together by love. Paul offers advice for focusing on the things that are above: “Continue steadfastly in prayer“; “Walk in wisdom“; “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” The things that are above require constant effort achieve and maintain. It’s not easy for us to live “after the image of [our] creator”, but the reward is similarly great.