Clothed in Cloud

I think that it’s somewhat easy to look around at all that we have and believe that this is our home. More generally, I think that it’s easy to look at the world and what humans have built and think that life here is all there is. It’s easy to do. We are accustomed to the things we have here around us. We like the world’s comforts: our homes, our clothes, our jobs, our money… The world around us can sometimes be like a big, crazy, LA traffic, Las Vegas slot machine, multiple hula hoops type of place. We’re sucked in. Suckers to the world’s pace, plans, comforts, and desires. And it’s oh-so easy to do, I tell ya.

So, because it can be so easy, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if we were walking around in a vaporous cloud, which prevented us from seeing the world too clearly. When we walk around in this cloud, we are constantly reminded of our separation from this world because, well, we are prevented from completely focusing in on the world around us. Sounds pretty good when you think about what this would mean for our relationships with God. The cloud “cover” would essentially help us to focus more on God and less on what’s going on around us. Maybe the cloud would funnel up towards above, which would make Colossians 3:2 a whole lot easier: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” But, there’s also probably a reason why God hasn’t all put us in cloud suits already. I can’t say for certain why God didn’t do this, but I can take several guesses why.

Unless this magical cloud suit is like a one-way mirror--with us only seeing fogginess and other people looking at us seeing us clearly—then, I’d have to guess that this cloud would probably look pretty cloudy from both angles (both us looking out and others looking in). Of course, we are to consider ourselves outside of this world, but if all other people can see is clouds of mist floating by, then what can actually be shown? By looking like everyone else (in the one sense of being human, that is, and not a cloud), we break the barrier of a possible “I’m a cloud and you’re not” kind of mentality. Therefore, what is shown has to come from the inside, where the Holy Spirit is dwelling. That is the difference. Christian, you have the Holy Spirit within you, not a hard-to-see-through cloud around you! Let the Spirit in you help to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12b) so that God may be shown. Have you ever heard the phrase, “the strongest light shines from within”? We aren’t turning ourselves into clouds people can’t see past or actual lights that people can’t look at for fear of blindness. We are showing non-Christians that our focus is something different than the world. And, it can be challenging.

So, if we can’t have a cloud suit or any other disguise that helps redirect our focus from the world to God, what can we do? Walk around with our eyes closed? Seclude ourselves in our homes? Well, I hope you know that these answers are no. Focus on the world is so much more than physically seeing the world around us. Focus has to do with our hearts and minds as well. As Colossians 3:1-2 says, “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things,” and your focus will be on God. Setting your heart and your mind on the above (on God) will take effort and discipline most of the time, especially because, like I said before, we are suckers to what the world offers. However, the resulting effects of choosing to set your hearts and minds on Him will be an indescribable joy and contentment that, I can guarantee, the world does not offer.