Letter Three
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” - Colossians 2:6-7
I have always had an appreciation for beautiful gardens. Everything is put together with thought and care, and the best ones often appear as if they are effortless. The reality is that there is a lot of hard work that goes into tending a garden. While at first glance a neighbor might see a beautiful flower bed, they miss the planting, weeding, fertilizing, pruning, and watering that goes into maintaining it. Our spiritual walk is just the same, yet we seldom realize it. Spiritual health does not happen by accident or by default.
It is so tempting to want your walk with God to be effortless and easy. However, in reality, there is a lot of intentionality and tending that goes into living the way God has called us to. Aside from the planting and soil health, also known as the local church, we must also continually water our spirit with God's Word. On top of that, we need to be aware of what must be removed. This means weeding and pruning, which is often unpleasant. In order to remove a weed, it is essential that you pull it out from the root, just as we must go all the way down to the root of our spiritual issues. Pruning seems destructive from the outside, but in truth, the pruning process is what helps things to grow. We can be comforted by the reality that God is patient and faithful to carry us through these processes in our own lives. Keep in mind, though, that this does require effort on our part. It takes us to be intentional about being rooted in Christ alone and being diligent in removing anything that does not belong.
We spoke in this week's message about root systems and how your source will always determine your final product. Good roots lead to good fruit, and bad roots cannot help but produce bad fruit. I challenge you this week to really think about and reevaluate your source. What are you rooted in? What is your source for nutrients, protection, and security in the storms of life? If you are not sure what that is for you, I encourage you to take a step back and consider what Paul says in Colossians 2:8...See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
With that in mind, anything we are treating as our source that isn’t Christ must be uprooted. Anything that provides you with a counterfeit version of your identity, strength, joy, peace, or purpose needs to be cast aside if that thing isn’t Jesus Christ. Maybe you feel you are already rooted in Christ. Can I tell you, that is fantastic! However, that still means you need to prune. That is, you need to cut back on what isn’t producing Godly fruit in your life. This might be over-scheduling yourself or it may be an attitude of apathy, negativity, or being unteachable. Whatever it is that is draining you, or preventing you from stepping into your calling, reevaluate that thought, habit, or desire and trim it back to leave more room for Christ. This week, take some time to be a good gardener. Make room for Christ by uprooting, pruning, and replanting the things of God in that new space.
It is so tempting to want your walk with God to be effortless and easy. However, in reality, there is a lot of intentionality and tending that goes into living the way God has called us to. Aside from the planting and soil health, also known as the local church, we must also continually water our spirit with God's Word. On top of that, we need to be aware of what must be removed. This means weeding and pruning, which is often unpleasant. In order to remove a weed, it is essential that you pull it out from the root, just as we must go all the way down to the root of our spiritual issues. Pruning seems destructive from the outside, but in truth, the pruning process is what helps things to grow. We can be comforted by the reality that God is patient and faithful to carry us through these processes in our own lives. Keep in mind, though, that this does require effort on our part. It takes us to be intentional about being rooted in Christ alone and being diligent in removing anything that does not belong.
We spoke in this week's message about root systems and how your source will always determine your final product. Good roots lead to good fruit, and bad roots cannot help but produce bad fruit. I challenge you this week to really think about and reevaluate your source. What are you rooted in? What is your source for nutrients, protection, and security in the storms of life? If you are not sure what that is for you, I encourage you to take a step back and consider what Paul says in Colossians 2:8...See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
With that in mind, anything we are treating as our source that isn’t Christ must be uprooted. Anything that provides you with a counterfeit version of your identity, strength, joy, peace, or purpose needs to be cast aside if that thing isn’t Jesus Christ. Maybe you feel you are already rooted in Christ. Can I tell you, that is fantastic! However, that still means you need to prune. That is, you need to cut back on what isn’t producing Godly fruit in your life. This might be over-scheduling yourself or it may be an attitude of apathy, negativity, or being unteachable. Whatever it is that is draining you, or preventing you from stepping into your calling, reevaluate that thought, habit, or desire and trim it back to leave more room for Christ. This week, take some time to be a good gardener. Make room for Christ by uprooting, pruning, and replanting the things of God in that new space.
Read:
Colossians 2
Ask:
What things have I let become my focus that needs to be uprooted and replaced?
What are things in my life I need to prune back to leave more time to honor God in thought and action?
What does pruning look like in a spiritual sense?
What are things in my life I need to prune back to leave more time to honor God in thought and action?
What does pruning look like in a spiritual sense?
Move:
You are made to move…So what do you think your next step is in this area?
Pray:
Lord, I trust that you are working everything out for my good. I pray right now for forgiveness for the things I have planted in my life that you did not plan for me. I ask for the strength and the courage to uproot these things and replace them with You alone. Father, please also grant me clarity in anything I need to cut back in my life to make more room for you so that I can bring you more glory. Thank you for all you are going to work in me through this. Amen.
