Before a Plant Grows Up, It Grows Down

Grow

What’s the first thing that happens when a plant begins to grow?

The very first thing is that a seed develops roots. I think it’s important to note that before a plant grows up, it grows down. 

This is true of every plant I know of. For a plant to grow & grow well, it needs roots in good soil.

My wife Alisha & I went & bought a few flowers to plant around our house a few weeks ago. And every time we buy plants, we buy dirt. I don’t know why I’ve never had a great idea like this. That you could actually make money selling dirt! But alas, this is what we do.

You have to buy special dirt if you want your plants to grow big & beautiful. You can’t just use any old dirt. You need expensive dirt. Dirt that for some reason has been specially formulated with all the nutrients & rich ingredients it needs to help plants grow well. (At least this is what they tell you at the store!)

If you’ve ever planted a garden or spent a lot of money on plants, chances are you also spent a lot of money on DIRT too! Why? Because we know that this matters. For a healthy plant to grow up it needs nutrient rich soil to grow down into.

I think this is an important concept for our lives as well.  Have you ever thought about this:

Soil

What kind of soil are you rooted in?

What kind of soil is your life grounded in? What kind of nutrients are you taking in? How healthy are you spiritually? Because the health of your spiritual life is directly related to the kind of soil you are rooted in. The kind of soil your life is rooted in will determine how you’re growing.

This is why some of us are struggling through life & we simply don’t know why.

This is why some of us struggle daily with feelings of fear, or anxiety, or maybe we’re weary or worried or whatever the problem…. the root of the issue may be where we’ve planted our life. And the simple fact of the matter is, we’re not rooted in the rich soil that is the love of God.

Instead, maybe we’re rooted in social media.  Or the 24 hour news cycle.  Or unhealthy relationships. Or media like tv, music, movies & the internet.  Or work.

What Comes Up

What comes up from your life reflects the kind of soil you’re rooted in.

As followers of Jesus we’re called to bear much fruit. But if your life is not rooted in God, you can claim to follow Jesus but have little to no fruit to show for it. Just ask yourself this question, What is the fruit that your life is producing on a regular basis for God, for others & for the world?

Is there any fruit?

If not, it may be time to check your roots.

Paul once prayed this for the believers in Ephesus:

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”  Ephesians 3.14-18

The Strength of Your Roots

Roots are only as strong as the nourishment they receive.

[Tweet “If you want your faith to grow then be rooted in the rich soil that is the love of God. #grow”]

So if you want to grow, if you want your faith to grow, your life to grow, then you need to be rooted in the rich soil that is the love of God. And when you do, His love will keep you strong.

You see, it’s when your roots go down into the rich soil of God’s love that your hands go up in worship. It’s when your roots go down into the rich soil that is the love of God that you’re able to stand strong in the middle of the storm.

It’s when your roots go down deep into God’s love that your life is characterized by faith, by strength, by peace, by love, by self control… because these are the fruits of the Spirit that are revealed in a life that is rooted in God’s great love for you.

It’s when you humble yourself before God that HE lifts you UP. So when you go down, He brings you up. As your roots go down into Him, His Spirit rises up in you. As you go deep in His love, your life produces spiritual fruit, fruit that lasts.

Replant?

Is it time to uproot & replant?

Alisha & I have this one plant in our home. It’s a peace lily. We’ve had for it long time & I remember a while back, we noticed it wasn’t doing to well. We tried to take care of it. Water it. Put it by a window so it would get sunlight. But those things weren’t the problem.

The problem was that it had sat in the same pot for far too long. The soil was depleted of it’s nutrients. The roots were all clumped together. It needed to be uprooted & replanted in better soil. The plant was dying.

The only way it would regain life would be for us to dig it up & replant it in better soil.

I don’t know much about planting. But I do know that sometimes, for the health of a plant, you have to dig it up & replant it. Maybe it’s time to dig up your life, dig up your roots, & replant yourself into the rich soil that is the love of God.

Remember, as I wrote about last week, it takes time to grow your faith.

May the evidence of our lives be the proof that we are rooted deeply in the love of God.

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