If you’ve spent any amount of time tending a garden or in my case tending the weeds, you know the importance of roots. Roots are what hold your plants steady in the ground and absorb nutrients for robust growth. Without roots, our plants would be feeble and prone to destruction with the slightest gust of wind or shower of rain. I love the word picture provided in this passage as Paul encourages the church in their walk with Christ and warned them of the dangers of false philosophies and teachings. Take a minute to let these words soak in. Realize what it means to be rooted and established in the faith.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)
I often talk with kids about the serious nature of becoming a Christ-follower, as it’s not something to be done lightly and it certainly won’t make our life easier. If we have chosen to follow Christ and die to self, we begin our walk with Him as the boss of our lives. He begins to transform us from the inside out and we begin to bare the fruit of our faith. Walking with Christ is active not passive. We must actively strive to grow in our understanding of God’s Word, to share the gospel with others, and to live with a posture of praise and thanksgiving, even when we don’t understand the plans God has for us. Just as physical roots are of utmost importance to our plants, spiritual roots are of even greater value to the follower of Christ. Our biblical literacy, discipleship relationships, and active participation in the body of Christ are the things that help us stay grounded in the storms. They are the things that guard our hearts when presented with false teachings. So as we take in this powerful word picture, let’s take a minute to evaluate our walk. Are we actively pursuing Christ? Are continually growing in our understanding of His Word? Are we living with an attitude of thanksgiving?
VC Devotionals 