The Root of the Matter

This past weekend, I was listening to a preacher, and he was saying that we see the fruit but there is no root, and that really stuck with me. So often we see people who seem fruitful in life and ministry, but when challenges in life come, they start straying away from the church and may blame God for their difficulties. These people are not rooted in Christ. Therefore, they will be stunted in their spiritual maturity because they are not getting the nourishment they need, since their roots have not been fully grounded in the Lord.  

Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away… But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Matthew 13:5-6 and 20-21

That is exactly what is happening in church today, among the raised hands and praises—are those who may not be rooted and grounded in Christ as they should be. There is a superficiality among many churchgoers. I know because I was once there. I went to a church that suited my timing so I could do my Christian routine, expecting that God would see it and bless me. Fortunately, I have learned over the years that faking it doesn’t mean that I am making it in God’s Kingdom, and I don’t ever want to hear Jesus say that He doesn’t know me.  

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:21-23

We can do many things, and we may say that we are doing them in Jesus’ name, but we have the wrong motives and may not be in Him, and so He doesn’t know us. That scares me. I have learned that we need to trust the Lord and be rooted in Him. The truth is that if we don’t trust God, it would be very difficult to be grounded in Him. So we need to learn His character, and we can only do this by being in His presence and in His Word, to have a personal relationship with Him. And when we know Him, then we can trust Him and be like a tree planted by the waters.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes;But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

We are going through a drought now in Jamaica, so I understand this all too well. Many of the vegetables I have planted have dried up because they are not getting enough water, even though I have tried to water them. Not only have the plants dried up, but even their roots have too, so they are easily torn out of the ground, even though I have given them so much time and attention just like God has done for us. Thankfully, some tomato plants under the eaves of the roof have survived because they are in the shade most of the day, and they are still bearing fruit. Praise the Lord! Because of this drought, the price of tomatoes is very expensive so it is good to have them. Where these tomatoes were planted is very important, which resulted in them not drying up like the other plants. We too need to be rooted in the right place under the shadow of the Almighty.

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

It is so important to receive Christ and walk on His path because He is the Way. We should also be rooted and built in Him. Our foundation should be our faith in Him and in God’s Word. And when we are grounded in Him, then we will be able to understand His love. I am starting to realize this slowly. We can do all the Christian rituals we want, but if we are not planted firmly in the love of Christ, we cannot walk in His fullness. A lot of the problems we have as Christians occur because we are not grounded in Him. And that is the root of the matter.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19