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
Thoughts~
As a muralist, one of my
favorite walls that I painted was a massive tree for a doctor’s office. I had
so much fun painting each leaf with veins, changing the shades of green and angles
of the leaves as I proceeded across the wall. Murals don’t have to be expensive
because the client determines the price of the mural so I know how detailed I
can get. The trunk of that tree traveled down to the baseboard and spread out
on top of a small mound of earth but it was the leaves of the tree that were
the show stopper. I spent three days painting that tree and the clients got a really
good deal because I couldn’t seem to stop making the tree as lush as possible. I wanted it to get attention, to be admired.
When I saw the image I used
at the top of the blog today, it made me think about Colossians 2:6-7. How
often we are concerned with what shows to the world and not what is viewed by
the Lord. The world sees our leaves, the exterior view of our faith. But the
Lord sees the roots of our faith, the strength of it, the gradual building that
is rooted in Him. And when our leaves fall off and our branches are bare, the
world won’t see the strength below the surface but the Lord does.
And we are aware of our
roots, too, aren’t we? We know how the Lord has used our trials and unwanted
experiences to grow us up into the men and woman He designed us to be: Strong
and overflowing with thankfulness.
Action~
Compare the roots of these two trees. Maybe the first one symbolizes a new Christian who is just beginning to grow in their faith. Or maybe it depicts a long time beleiver who doesn't have time to spend time in God's word and sort of skips through life without any measurable spiritual growth.
Now look at the second trees roots. They spread out far and wide, supporting the tree, strengthening it in the storms of life. The more time we spend in God’s word, the stronger our roots will grow and spread and we won’t be swayed by the trials that come our way.
For a visual reminder to be
rooted in the word of the Lord, look for a tree in a magazine that especially
speaks to you. Clip it out and place it where it will serve to encourage you to
spend time in His word where our strength begins to build.
Pray~
I do overflow with thankfulness
to You, Lord. You are to be praised for all You have taught me through the
power of Your Holy Spirit.
Trusting in Him,
Becky
