The more I meditate on “seeking what’s up” and “setting my mind on what’s up” (Colossians 3:1-4), the more I realize what’s truly going on: a glory war. That’s right —whose glory will occupy my attention: God’s or man’s?

When I’m earth-bound and horizontally focused, man’s glory drives me. Things like approval, applause, and attention crowd in on my ‘real’ life hidden in Christ and try to displace it. They seek to create a disjointedness within me so that I’m not “doing all to the glory of God” and instead splitting my aim. And when I split my aim, I miss my target. I cannot serve two masters.

No wonder a vertical focus and heavenly-centered mindset is critical to spiritual growth. It’s the bulls-eye of the target, the place where we aim the cross-hairs of our life’s scope. Yes, where Christ dwells—in the glory of God—should capture the view of our heart and mind so that we have but one goal: seeking where he is and setting our mind where he is. His glory, not ours or others, is to be our vista and view.

Here’s a grand goal for today: be driven by God’s glory, not your own. Oh, that you would fight and struggle well in the ongoing war for your attention. That you would be captured by and riveted on the One whose glory outshines and outlasts all other glories. That’s the kind of servants and leaders our ministries need, ones who are so heavenly-minded—completely preoccupied with the untameable and dangerous glory of God—that we wouldn’t dare seek any other glory or think of sharing his with another. That’s when we’ll be of great earthly good to those we lead.

Today, may you live and lead for the glory of One!