Rooted: to cause to strike root, to strengthen with roots, to render firm, to fix, establish, cause a person or a thing to be thoroughly grounded
Roots are crucial to the survival and health of a plant. A strong root system helps plants draw up water and minerals from the soil, and grounds the plants, providing protection and strength against the elements.
What is true for plants is also true for us—the deeper the roots of faith, the greater strength we have to navigate the circumstances of life that swirl around us. Being rooted in Jesus strengthens us, establishes us, and causes us to be thoroughly grounded.
Before I started kindergarten I lived in 6 different houses in 5 different states. The summer before my 4th grade year, we moved again, and while I didn’t move homes, I attended 4 different schools by the time I reached high school. In college, I added 7 more housing changes, and my husband and I racked up 5 moves in the first 5 years of our marriage.
One move stands out as more difficult than the others. Just as we had started to settle where we were, putting roots down in friendships, church, and our community, we were uprooting and moving again.
I think that move was harder because I had put down my roots in places and in people, maybe more deeply than my roots in God.
But God was inviting me to put my roots more deeply in Him.
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7
I realized that if I made sure my deepest roots were truly rooted and built up in Christ, it didn’t matter where I lived. Sure, I would have adjustments and transitions; however, if I would continue to root deeply in Him, He would make sure I could bloom wherever He planted me.
As Jennifer Dukes Lee writes in Growing Slow, “…this is what we were made for—with roots growing deep, growing strong in truth. This is the way to sustainable growth in our families, our friendship, and our faith journeys.”
That is the kind of “rooted” Jesus offers, roots that draw living water and strength from His word, grounding us and providing strength for the life that we are living.
Where are your roots planted? Where might God be inviting you to let your roots grow down into Him more deeply?
Ladies – We are excited to announce that registration for the 2021 Women’s Retreat is open! Women from ECC and Riverside have been collaborating this summer to pray and to plan and to create the space for us to step away from the normal rhythms of life and connect with God and other women as we gather at Camp Tecumseh on November 5-7, 2021.
Our retreat speaker, Jennifer Dukes Lee, will help us on our journey to be deeply rooted in Christ by sharing lessons she has learned from life on the farm and the insights she has gathered from the purposeful by never rushed life of Christ.
We pray you will accept the invitation and be a part of rooted: growing strong in truth.
Additional information and the link to register are at ecclife.net/womensretreat.