Your Daily Devotional for September 4, 2007

 

September 4,  2007

 

 

Rooted in Christ

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

 

Colossians 2:4-8

 

 

Every spring our family goes through a habit of gardening. We purchase seeds, prepare the soil, and then on a warm afternoon, we plant the garden, row by row. It is vital that each seed is rooted in the proper type of soil and spaced according to the instructions. Of course, the depth and quality of the root system determine the plant's ability to rise.

 

As we see in our verses today, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church of Colosse about his concern that each believer was rooted and built up in Christ. Although Paul did not personally help to found this church, he was concerned that they would be grounded in Christ.

 

In planting a garden there are many variables, but two things are basic—proper rooting of the plant and the uprooting of weeds. These same principles are applicable to the establishing of a godly home. Today we will see that as families, we must be rooted in Christ.

 

Colossians 2:7 says, "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." This verse is talking about spiritual growth in the Christian life. In order to grow, we must be rooted properly.

 

The roots are what provide stability for the plant. If the roots are too shallow, the plant will fall when adversity comes. But if the roots are deep and have a firm hold in the earth, the plant will be able to stand. This is true in our families as well. We are all rooted in something. Whether it is in the world or in God, we have stabilized ourselves in some sort of "soil." God desires that we would be rooted in Him and in His Word.

 

Once we are rooted in Christ, we can begin building our lives on Him. Matthew 7:24 says, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock."  We may have sung that song as a child but the principle applies to our lives today. When we stabilize our lives and our families on God, we will be able to grow.

 

So many families today fail to see the importance of setting their roots in Christ. What we base our families and our lives on will determine our growth. If we haphazardly go through life without setting down deep roots in God's Word, any difficulty will pull us away from Him. We must stabilize our families by spending time together in God's Word and by teaching our children the importance of developing a relationship with God. As we root our families in Christ, we will be able to grow closer to Him.

 

What is your family rooted in today? Have you taught your children the importance of attending church and of spending time with God? We would all do well to reexamine our roots today. Spend time with God right now and ask Him to help you ground yourself in Him. Only when we are rooted in Christ will we be able to have godly families.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Psalm 143-145 • 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

 

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