Apples of Gold

When I was growing up my grandmother’s farmhouse boasted a plethora of thriving house plants. She even had one that wound its way around most of her living room. I must confess, I did not inherit her green thumb. I did, however, inherit a cutting from one of her snake plants and a spider plant that have both somehow weathered my inconsistent care for quite a few years. I forget to water them for days, sometimes even weeks, but somehow they come back to life when I douse them with a large drink of water. Spider plants tend to survive neglect because they have a strong root system.

Healthy roots are vital for thriving plants. They are vital for us as followers of Jesus as well.

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

The moment we surrender our life to God we do not cross a finish line but rather step over a starting line. We begin a relationship that needs to be thoughtfully and carefully cultivated. When we neglect our spiritual lives it is often unnoticeable at first to those around us: but we are beginning to wither and weaken. This is not unlike a plant which is succumbing to root rot. Root rot begins beneath the soil and is often not detected until it has advanced to critical stages. Yellow leaves and stunted growth indicate the plant is now in mortal danger. Short tempers, selfishness, and a general lack of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives are glaring warning signs that we are withering spiritually.

Root rot is caused by an issue with water flow. A plant could be getting water but the soil is too dense, or a container might not have proper drainage holes to allow the water to nourish the plant and then spread through the soil. Living Water flow is crucial to our lives as well. We need a continual intake of the Word of God, prayer, worship, and fellowship. It is just as important that we have a continual outflow of thankfulness, kindness, and service to others.

A healthy, sturdy tree has an intricate root system that mirrors its crown. As the tree grows taller the roots spread deeper and wider, anchoring it securely in place and allowing it to remain steady even during severe storms. We have all seen tall trees that blow over in a storm. They usually have a very shallow root system. The tree grew tall and fast but it wasn’t growing the roots at the same rate. Like that tree we can appear healthy but when rough stuff comes our way we will topple over if our lives are not built on Christ.

A healthy tree is always growing, and we should be too. You can count the rings on a tree trunk to determine it’s age. People should be able to view the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives to determine ours. Are your roots going deeper? Are you growing in your knowledge of the Word and of the Character of God? Are you becoming more obedient and discerning? This isn’t optional.

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. Matthew 13:11-12

So you’ve got to grow or it’s going to go. Application is one of the most neglected disciplines of Christianity. We read it. We acknowledge it is correct. But how often do we put it aside to apply later only to leave it undone?

James warns us:

Don’t just listen to God’s word, You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves, For it you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror, You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like, But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:22-25