Roots

As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV

Recently, we’ve had some pretty severe storms pass through our area. During one of these tempests, a tree in our backyard was ripped right out of the ground, its shallow roots rendering it vulnerable to the powerful winds. The oak in our front yard, on the other hand, still stands strong because it has developed taproots that grow deep down into the soil, providing much stronger stability.

Unfortunately, many trees never develop taproots because water is readily available close to the surface. They don’t grow their roots deep into the rich soil, so their roots are shallow. When faced with stress, they are easily toppled. The reverse also holds true; storms can stimulate a tree or a plant to reach further down into the soil and grow stronger roots.

What’s true in nature is also true in our spiritual life; we are only as strong as our roots. If our spiritual life is shallow and we settle for a “good enough” faith, we risk being easily toppled when the storms of life hit.

But when our roots grow deep down into Christ, when we embrace the storms as opportunities to reach further down into the soil and become firmly established in Him, our roots grow stronger and deeper, enabling us to stand firm in the midst of the hard times.

Let me ask you a question. How are your roots? What are you actively doing to grow them deeper and stronger?