Rooted in Christ

In the space of just thirty words, Paul gives us five pictures of what makes a fruitful life. He uses our walk, our roots, our foundations, our strength, and the overflow of thankfulness.

The first is walking with the Lord. I wrote a Seed about that a while ago. Today, let’s think about the second, ‘rooted in Him’. If a plant is to grow well it needs healthy roots in nourishing soil. It won’t flourish without both of those. What’s more, its roots keep it secure.

Recently we decided to remove a shrub in our garden that had got too big. I grabbed its stem and gave it a good yank – rock solid! I dug around with a fork to loosen the soil and gave it another heave – immovable! In the end, I had to dig out the soil and cut the roots one by one. It was well-rooted.

Where does our spiritual nourishment come from? What keeps us secure through difficult times? In our garden, the plants are rooted in soil which contains the nutrients they need. Spiritually, we are rooted in Christ. He is our source of life – He is our life; but we only receive that life if we are well-rooted in Him. And He is our security; but only if we are well-rooted in Him.

Most of us are probably quite good at nourishing our bodies – good food and exercise. And we do things that nourish our minds and emotions. These are fine, but ultimately of limited benefit if our human spirit isn’t being nourished. A healthy soul (mind, will and emotions) enhances life and stability, but it doesn’t give them; that only comes from a human spirit that is rooted in Christ.

This means an intimate connection. When we plant a shrub in the garden, we push down the soil around the stem with our feet to ‘firm it in’, to make sure that every bit of the roots is in contact with the soil.

So many things pull us away from intimacy with Jesus: the pressures of work, family, relationships and so much else. I find that I need to come back to Him every day, to ‘firm my roots in’ when the circumstances of life have loosened them.

Why not start today by simply spending time with Him, worshipping Him, telling Him how much He means to you and how much you love Him, and submitting yourself to His gentle authority? You’ll feel secure and become that much more fruitful as His life gives you life.