ROOTED
SCRIPTURE
Let your roots grove down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grove strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
-Colossians 2:7 (NLT)
We lived in Portland, Oregon, where rain was mostly a fine mist or light shower and umbrellas were optional. Occasionally, hard rains soaked the ground, and old-growth trees without deep roots fell fast. That's the truth about roots. You don't think you need them until you do.
Jesus wants us to grow healthy roots. If our roots come from anyone or anywhere but Jesus, we begin a slow slide to a self-supported life, which may turn out to be more shallow than we think it is. Being rooted in Christ means everything grows from Christ's life in us, including priorities, goals, relationships, and motivation.
To be rooted in Jesus also delivers nourishment that comes from nowhere else--not from success, productivity, acceptance, or control. This is where the cross makes a difference in how we live daily. Everything we need to grow deep roots is ours as we live in Christ and by his power. We grow roots when we allow Jesus to speak his love and truth into our lives. We grow roots when we follow his nudge to do something, say something, or be quiet. Nothing grows roots faster than obedience.
Without deep-growing roots, we will struggle, especially in hard times. We may substitute trying harder for trust in God. We will stunt our growth instead of encouraging it. We will live depleted unnecessarily. Growth is an invitation before it is a goal. It is Christ's invitation to come, listen, follow, and obey. Pray for spiritual roots, and follow God's directions for developing them. If we shortchange ourselves here, we could experience the same plight as the plant whose roots don't hold in bad weather. We may struggle, wither, and topple.
Asking for the desire to grow is a prayer God loves to answer.
Don't complicate it by being an overachiever. Rooted and grounded in him--that's our focus. The life that grows from this initiative perseveres because we are rooted in the foundation of the world, the cornerstone, the eternal Christ. Nothing we try to do can substitute for what he does in us.
BURNING QUESTIONS
1. How would you describe your spiritual root system? Shallow? Beginning? Deepening?
2. What will grow your roots that will help you face uncertain times?
AFFIRMATION
Growth is a byproduct of obedience.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord of all growth, help me recognize the difference between self-made goals and listening to your nudges to grow.
SCRIPTURE
Let your roots grove down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grove strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
-Colossians 2:7 (NLT)
We lived in Portland, Oregon, where rain was mostly a fine mist or light shower and umbrellas were optional. Occasionally, hard rains soaked the ground, and old-growth trees without deep roots fell fast. That's the truth about roots. You don't think you need them until you do.
Jesus wants us to grow healthy roots. If our roots come from anyone or anywhere but Jesus, we begin a slow slide to a self-supported life, which may turn out to be more shallow than we think it is. Being rooted in Christ means everything grows from Christ's life in us, including priorities, goals, relationships, and motivation.
To be rooted in Jesus also delivers nourishment that comes from nowhere else--not from success, productivity, acceptance, or control. This is where the cross makes a difference in how we live daily. Everything we need to grow deep roots is ours as we live in Christ and by his power. We grow roots when we allow Jesus to speak his love and truth into our lives. We grow roots when we follow his nudge to do something, say something, or be quiet. Nothing grows roots faster than obedience.
Without deep-growing roots, we will struggle, especially in hard times. We may substitute trying harder for trust in God. We will stunt our growth instead of encouraging it. We will live depleted unnecessarily. Growth is an invitation before it is a goal. It is Christ's invitation to come, listen, follow, and obey. Pray for spiritual roots, and follow God's directions for developing them. If we shortchange ourselves here, we could experience the same plight as the plant whose roots don't hold in bad weather. We may struggle, wither, and topple.
Asking for the desire to grow is a prayer God loves to answer.
Don't complicate it by being an overachiever. Rooted and grounded in him--that's our focus. The life that grows from this initiative perseveres because we are rooted in the foundation of the world, the cornerstone, the eternal Christ. Nothing we try to do can substitute for what he does in us.
BURNING QUESTIONS
1. How would you describe your spiritual root system? Shallow? Beginning? Deepening?
2. What will grow your roots that will help you face uncertain times?
AFFIRMATION
Growth is a byproduct of obedience.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord of all growth, help me recognize the difference between self-made goals and listening to your nudges to grow.
Posted in Lent