Strong Roots
Recently, the tree in our back garden became very wobbly. Even when the tree surgeon came to look at it and saw it leaning, he said not to worry, they always lean like that. It looks healthy enough. It was only when I gave it a gentle push and he saw how loose it was, he took my point. It was only when it was cut down, that he could see the disease to the roots that had caused the whole tree to become unstable.
The roots of a plant are unseen – but vitally important.
Colossians 2:6-15
Christ Brings Real Life
6 You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
8 Don’t let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ.
9 God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. 11 Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. 12 And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. 13 You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.
14 God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. 15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.
Likewise, where we plant roots is important. Scrappy, thin, stony soil does not produce growth. Rich, fertile soil does.
The same is true of lives. What we root ourselves firmly in matters. Is it that which will make us grow? Or not?
Do we root our lives firmly in Jesus? Or in something else? However good it sounds, however like God’s word it sounds – or however far away, we must be wary. We are not to be fooled. The way to grow strong is to remain rooted in him.
Wobbly roots lead to wobbly trees.
Lord,
I want to plant my roots
firmly in you.
May you be my nourishment,
my strength,
my support.
the source of all my being
Pam's Perambulation 