Sep 11, 2023
No one likes to struggle, and suffering---we could all do
without. Or could we? Most often it is the struggle of life that
tests the rootedness of our faith. Pastor and author Charles Haddon
Spurgeon writes:
"We cannot be established except by suffering. It is of no use
our hoping that we shall be well-rooted if no March winds have
passed over us. The young oak cannot be expected to strike its
roots so deep as the old one. Those old gnarlings on the roots, and
those strange twistings of the branches, all tell of many storms
that have swept over the aged tree. But they are also indicators of
the depths into which the roots have dived."
The depth of the roots are indicators of the storms of life. How do
you handle the storms of life? When storms hit, do the roots of
your faith go deeper into Christ or do you feel yourself slowly
being pulled away? Jesus, in his parable about the soils, talks
about how the seed of gospel lands in some soil and begins to
quickly germinate but then this happens:
"But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they
withered because they had not root." ~ Matthew 13:6
Pressure, opposition, struggle, and suffering are all realities of
following Jesus. For some, these pressures uproot their lives and
everything about their faith falls apart. Yet for others the roots
of their faith go even deeper and they literally grow stronger
through the circumstances. How can we, the face of "March
winds" and not only remain rooted, but grow stronger as
well?
This is one of the focuses of New Testament book of
Colossians. The apostle Paul is writing to Christian who are
feeling the pressure to uproot their lives from Christ and find
another option; like returning to Judaism or choosing one of
the pagan cultural gods. This is why he writes these urgent
words:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue
to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened
in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with
thankfulness." ~ Colossians 2:6-7
On Sunday we will study all of what Paul writes in chapter two and
discover the strategy he teaches to help all of us remain rooted in
King Jesus. To be a part of the conversation, give a listen to part
three of Rooted.