As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6,7 (NKJV)
My elementary gardening students learn about the importance of good root development. I teach them to protect the roots as they transplant, and to cover the roots so they don’t dry out. They learn to make cuttings of plants. The succulents usually easily root in the containers of soil. Coleus plants readily root in water, and my students get excited when they see the roots sprout.
Some plants, however, are a challenge to root. The extra help of the use of a rooting hormone is necessary for successful root growth. Still, some fail to root, or the roots start to grow, but stay so small that the plant remains stunted. The disappointed child asks why the cutting falls over.
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Like plants, people may also struggle to produce roots, roots of faith in God. Some profess Christ, but have a stunted faith. Many youth leave their faith in high school or college. Adults also struggle with doubts and with deepening their relationship with the Lord. Why does one person seem to take readily to following Jesus Christ, while another may have been active in church but then leaves God behind? How can we help others and ourselves be established in Christ?
Perhaps we need a “rooting hormone” for us to develop roots of faith. I think that is made up of the following: a personal relationship with Jesus, prayer, Bible study, thanksgiving, fellowship with other believers, forgiving hearts, and accountability.
First, we need a personal relationship with Jesus. It’s necessary to recognize that because Jesus loves us, He died to pay the penalty for our sins. His resurrection shows His power to forgive us and help us follow Him. We need to seek His forgiveness for our sins. Jesus is either is in charge in our life, or He is not. Are we submitting to Him with a growing faith or clinging to our own control?
Our relationship grows as we spend time with God in prayer and reading His Word. Prayer is simply communication with our good Heavenly Father. He wants us to come to Him. He hears us. Prayer doesn’t need to be a flowery oration. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray and prays along with us. Jesus intercedes for us.
God talks with us, too. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. We wouldn’t consider not opening a letter from a dearly loved friend or relative. We read it. As we study what is written in Scripture, we learn what the Lord wants us to know, what He wants us to do, and wisdom in living life. We learn more about Him.
As we learn more about God, we become thankful for what He has done and for how He loves us. May we have an attitude of gratitude towards the Lord and also towards others.
Spending time with other believers helps us to expand our faith. We learn to forgive each other, for none of us is perfect yet. We can encourage each other, and hold each other accountable. We learn from one another.
Let’s apply the “rooting hormone” and grow in our relationship with God and with each other. Commit to regularly spend time in God’s Word and in prayer, even if it is starting with fifteen minutes a day and then increasing it as led. Take Scripture and pray it back to God. As our roots go stronger and deeper, our faith and our relationship with Jesus will flourish just as a plant does with good roots.
Lord, I thank you that You want a relationship with me. Please forgive me of my sin. Help me to walk in You, rooted and built up in You and established in the faith. Help me commit to spending time with You every day by reading Your Word, praying to You, and listening for Your answer. Help me to obey You. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
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Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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His Broken Treasure is a 31-Day companion devotional to the historical romance novel Murmur in the Mud Caves by Kathleen Denly.
We’ve all felt broken or unvalued at times, but His Broken Treasure helps take readers deeper into the themes of Kathleen Denly’s Murmur in the Mud Caves and remind them how treasured they are by the One who matters most. Designed to allow concurrent reading with Murmur in the Mud Caves, each section of His Broken Treasure is labeled with the chapter of the novel that it addresses. Reading this devotional will help you more easily recognize the beauty in God’s broken treasures.
His Broken Treasure is available for purchase as both an ebook and as a paperback at Barnes & Noble. Amazon and other vendors to follow soon.
Check out the Chaparral Hearts series at Kathleendenly.com
Kathryn Breckenridge 