Solid Roots

"One that would have the fruit must climb the tree." (Thomas Fuller)

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Fuller also reminded us that all things are difficult before they become easy. We may not find our walk with Jesus all that 'easy' right now, enduring some struggles along the way, but you can trust me on this one - the longer you remain consistent in following his path, the easier it is to trust him when the path becomes hard. One that wants fruit may find it is higher up in the tree than he can reach easily - so he has to find a way to obtain that fruit, doesn't he? Why would it be any different when we desire God's rich spiritual fruit to be produced and enjoyed in our lives? 

We have to continue in our walk - suggesting we might just want to give up along the way because it gets too hard. Roots don't just happen - they have to press deep within the soil the seed was planted within. The more they press into the soil, the 'solider' the connection becomes between the seed and the soil. Some of us haven't really allowed those roots to press into the soil of our hearts - we just watch as the roots wither and dry. Then we wonder why our connection with Jesus is kind of 'bland' or 'dry'. If we consider the effort we put forth to be 'rooted well', we might just find we didn't put forth all that much effort!

Strong faith isn't accidental - it is purposefully sought. Just as the roots of the tree seek moisture within the soil, so our spirit seeks the refreshment that comes from spending time in God's presence. Whenever we deny ourselves the privilege of time with Jesus, we are allowing the soil to go dry. We may have 'roots', but they aren't finding much refreshing! Fruit isn't always within reach - we must climb the tree to obtain it. This suggests there is a bit of 'work' on our behalf to actually see the fruit of God's Spirit developing within our lives. The more 'effort' we put into the bearing of fruit, the more fruit will be produced.

Was the fruit produced just because there were buds upon the tree? No, it took solidly planted and nourished roots! Therefore, if we want God's spiritual fruit within our lives, we need to focus on getting those roots solidly planted, sinking deeper and deeper into the soil he has prepared. Just sayin!