Take root - Devotion for 6/1/07

Take root – Devotion for 6/1/07

In Colossians 2, Paul addresses what the fullness of life is like in Christ – “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving”(v. 6-7). He goes on to talk about how we need to be on guard against things that might “take you captive” (v.8) such as philosophy and empty deceit. I think that we all know that we need to stay “rooted” in Christ, but sometimes that is something that is easier said than done. Using that plant image of being rooted, we know that we are being told to keep our roots in the soil of God, who will provide us with all nourishment.

In our backyard we have a rose bush. It is not a bush that I planted, and that is why it is still living. There is another bush out back that I really like because it has the little white flowers that really have a nice fragrance (listen to me sounding all girly-girly). Sometimes when I just step out into the backyard I like to just take in a deep breath, and after I detect the scent of my dog Riley, the next scent that I can detect is those 2 bushes. Sometimes when I am feeling romantic, I will go out there and I will cut a rose or two off of the bush, and then I will cut a few of the unnamed white flowers, and I will put them in a vase for my wife. When we bring those flowers in the scent fills the room for a few days. Sometimes I think it’s neat to cut one of the flowers just before it begins to bloom, and then when we put it in the water, it is cool to watch it bloom. If I don’t put the flowers in the water, they die very, very quickly.

You and I are like flowers. We need to stay rooted always in Christ to thrive and blossom. Idle things of this world may “take us captive,” and distract us from what we are to be rooted in. We may be so consumed with the promises of success and glory in this world that we may not even realize that those promises are merely the “empty deceit” that Paul talked about. Just as the flower will still bloom in the water, we too may actually blossom in different ways apart from Christ. However, just like the flower in the vase, the water is not a real substitute for the nourishment that is received from the root. Take root in Christ. Do not allow other distractions to take you away from the mindset that Christ is always with you. Always stay rooted in the thing that will truly sustain you. “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”