“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Colossians 2:6-7, NASB)
Let’s talk about roots. Why?
Because roots matter.
In looking at this verse, it seems like it needs to be worked backwards. If one wants to overflow with thanksgiving, then faith needs to grow. For faith to grow, our lives needs to be built on Him, and for that to occur, we need roots to grow deep.
With that established, let’s look at the importance of our roots:
- It is the means by which water is absorbed. As our roots go deep in Him, we are promised, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14, NASB).
- It is the means by which we are anchored to the ground and supported. “We who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:18-19, NASB).
- It is the storage place of food and nutrients. “Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart”
(Jeremiah 15:16, NASB). - It is the means by which fruit is produced. “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3, NASB).
Root development is important for faith and gratitude to flourish in our lives.
“Paul uses thankfulness as a litmus test of Christian health.”
(New American Commentary, Volume 32, page 248).
Deep roots of faith are evidenced by gratitude
for all God has done and continues to do for us each day.
*This post has been edited and first appeared at Woman to Woman Ministries.
Photo by David Brooke Martin on Unsplash
Today I am joining …
Aww! I ended up between two root posts in the Tell His Story link up this week â¤ï¸ God must have known I needed sweet reminders to tend my roots. May I do the work this week to tend my roots””to nourish my relationship with Jesus and take in all he offers.
I also am thinking about roots more deeply this morning (and pun not intended). We had a huge pine tree taken down yesterday, not because it was unhealthy but because its roots were to shallow to be safe. May we do the work to be sure our roots go down deep in Him!
Roots seem to be a theme this week, and it’s so important. Without those deep roots in faith or in family, it’s so easy to be washed away or withered by life’s struggles and disappointments. Thank you for the lovely reminder.
I had noticed the “root” theme this week 🙂 May we still ourselves to learn what the Lord would have us to discover about our roots.
It’s so interesting God laid roots on both our hearts this week. He must have really wanted this message to get out at this time. The phrase “rooted and built up in Him” has been recurring like a refrain in my thinking today.
Barbara, I thought the same when I read your post.
Amen! This old farmer enjoyed the lesson ma’am.
I’ve always been a tumbleweed,
bouncing, dancing, ‘cross the plain,
never really feeling need
to be stable, to remain.
Went from mall-rat to the war
with no thought of what it meant,
not comprehending what’s in store
when arc of life is badly bent.
I maybe should have worked it through;
you can’t be always in the bush,
and I would like to tell to you
that when you go to shove through push
that rootless can be only fun
for the stupid and the young.
I’m so happy that we can root ourselves in Christ. Just as an adopted child, we become son’s and daughters of Christ …the only roots that truly matter most of all.