Firmly Rooted

Colossians 2:6-7, “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

Spring is starting to show itself little by little. The colder days are fading away, and the warmer ones are on the horizon. The old saying, ‘April showers bring May flowers has started. Spring, a time for refreshing newness, putting the cold of winter behind us, and letting the Lord refresh our souls.

     Spring is also a time for planting. Mother's Day Sunday, a good time to plant flowers. With the last of winter fading away, we clean our vegetables gardens and plant new seeds ready for a bountiful summer ahead.

     I love spring and could easily get caught up talking about all the wonderful things this time of year can bring, but we'll narrow it down today to one central thing. We find Jesus using this metaphor several times. Even throughout scriptures we see it. A time for planting and harvest and everything in between. We read it because it has been part of our world since creation. This is a season everyone can relate to and understand. So, let's look at what the Lord is teaching us. Like a garden goes through many steps before harvest we as Christians go through our own steps as we grow closer to Jesus.

     There is a time for sowing, a time for planting: 1 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 6:7- If you want peas you plant peas. Tomato plants, you plant tomatoes. Zucchini, our favorite, you plant zucchini seeds. It's a pretty easy step to understand for anyone who likes growing gardens. For the results you want you need to plant what you want.

     The same goes for us and the Bible. What we plant in our minds and hearts will eventually grow out from us. If you have a lot of spite or hate it will show in the way you talk or act. Love covers a multitude of things and can spill over to all situations and people around you. Take time to examine your heart. What are you planting today for your future harvest?

     After planting we watch and wait for growth: Mark 4:27- I don't know about you but after a week or so I'm outside checking the garden for any new shoots coming out of the ground. We don't see what's happening underground but those first shoots always let us know the seeds are growing.

     When we spend time with Jesus, when we study God's Word, we are nourishing ourselves and over time our growth as Christians should begin to show itself because we can't help but reflect Jesus in our heart and lives.

     Plants need more than dirt to grow, they need to be watered: Isaiah 58:11- If all else fails around us, our bodies are designed to live on water for quite some time. Water fills our cells and so much more keeping us functioning and growing.

     Jesus not only provided a healthy liquid for our bodies, but He is the water that fills our souls and helps us grow as Christians. It's good to fill up on plenty of water and the best way is spending time with Jesus.

     The next step is becoming rooted: Colossians 2:7- As a plant grows its roots start going deep into the ground spreading and helping the plants grow as they latch onto nutrients the dirt provides. As the roots grow it helps keep the plant secure to endure the winds and rains that come their way.

     We too have a promise of safety and security when storms of life come our way. Not only do we have that promise, when we are rooted in Jesus, we are latched on to Him and He gives us what we need to continually grow towards Him and away from the world.

     There will always come a time for pruning: John 15:2- There is always the need for weeding as the garden grows. If not, the weeds can choke out the good a plant needs. Yet, at times the plant will grow too much and need a little pruning to make way for new growth. If I don't take time to cut away the bad leaves in my house plants, the leaves begin to turn brown overtaking the good. A little pruning is good.

     Satan is constantly on the prowl trying to fill our lives with things that pull us away from God. The more we spend time away from prayer and Bible study, the more the distractions overgrow in our life, overtaking the good. A little spiritual pruning is good. Even if our spiritual cup seems full and growing. We are constantly growing and sometimes some pruning needs to take place to make room for the new.

     As a plant grows it thrives on lots of sunshine: Micah 7:7- A plant will grow slowly and produce a small amount with water and soil, but to really thrive, plants need sunshine. They will stretch toward the light allowing their leaves to take in as much light as they can. The sun gives the plants strength and nutrients to maintain its growth and feeds the seeds to produce crops.

     As Christians we too need the Son to grow, gain strength from, and give us what we need to live in this world and face all we face daily. The more we look to the Son the more we grow and we can become closer to Jesus and thrive.

     After time our crops begin to produce and it's time for reaping and harvest: Galatians 6:9, Psalm 126:5- We reap what we sow, so hopefully your harvest is an abundance of yummy garden fresh goods.

     There will be a time when the Lord will return, and He is going to collect His harvest of all Christians who stood firm and faithful in the Lord through all trials and troubles the devil has thrown at us and we will enjoy a home in heaven and a new earth with Him.

     We too will see a harvest in all we have sown, sharing the light of Jesus to others. We may not see the harvest right away, but our job is to simply plant the seeds and let the Lord do the watering, pruning, and harvest.

     As we go into planting season this year let us remember this is a way we can apply the same steps to our spiritual lives. There is a reason the Lord used this metaphor more than once in scripture. We can understand it and apply it to our lives today allowing the Lord to help us grow as stronger Christians in the Lord. Happy planting!

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