Roots

      I've been reading the book of Colossians and I keep coming back to verse 6-7 of chapter 2, 
"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." 
There are so many gems in this two piece verse but I want to really hone in on one portion, rooted. 
     Through out the Bible and sermons I've heard, we as Christians have been compared to trees (Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 1:3). Did you know that the root system of a tree performs many vital functions? In winter, it is a store-house for essential food reserves needed by the tree to produce spring foliage. Roots absorb and transport water and minerals from the soil to the rest of the tree. Roots also anchor the portion of the tree above ground. It is important to keep the portion above ground healthy to ensure an adequate food supply for the roots to continue their important functions.
     Ok now let's break this down to how this applies to us.

• Roots are a storehouse for essential food needed to produce spring foliage. If you are a tree where are you rooted? Are you rooted in bitterness, anger, life, joy, peace? What will you produce? Think of a beautiful flower. If it's healthy it's growing beautifully, but if it's roots are not deep and getting the essential food it needs (water, sun, etc) then it won't grow to its full potential, it will eventually wither and die. So if you are rooted in bitterness beware of producing hate and anger. If you are rooted in joy and peace you are producing life gifts.

• I love how it explains that roots anchor the tree. Have you ever seen an enormous tree and thought how in the world would this tree ever be moved if needed? Years and years of it's roots growing deep and getting the adequate food supply it flourished. 
The reason it was such a magnificent tree was because its roots went deep down. The beauty that was evident above the ground was the result of the unseen roots beneath.

     So it is with us as Christians. We are not to focus our attention on trying to fix up our "branches" - that is, trying to be good Christians, or to live like Jesus by our own efforts; rather, our focus should be on our "roots," allowing the truths of the Word of God to be deeply planted in our hearts and to become a reality in our experience. If our roots in God are strong and healthy our outward lives will automatically show the life and nature of Christ to those around us.

Additional Resources:

http://www.churchlink.com.au/bible_studies/roots/roots1.html

Power Verses:

Jeremiah 17:7-8 

 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (NIV)

Ephesians 3:17 

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, (NIV)