Roots and Fruitsنموونە

The Big Idea: Deep Roots Survive Storms

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25).

What happens when storms come? 

Storms are one of the ways God reveals the roots and fruits in our lives. Deep roots endure storms, and the fiercest winds can’t uproot them. Nonetheless, storms are bound to come. The Bible gives us many promises and warnings, and one of them is that we will experience suffering, heartache and loss. Our hearts can become entangled when this happens, but storms will ultimately reveal the health of our root system. So what type of fruit should we produce, even in the midst of life’s storms?

Good fruit is described in Galatians 5:22-24: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

And the bad fruit is in Galatians 5:19-21: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

In the midst of life’s storms, the enemy wants us to turn to the flesh and produce bad fruit. How do we combat the weeds the enemy wants to plant in our hearts? How do we deepen our roots so they bear fruit and are healthy? 

Deep roots come from having an intimate and personal relationship with God. Roots need access to living water to maintain being healthy.  Our water, as Christians, is prayer, reading the Bible, diving into what God has to say, and being in community with other Christians.

“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).

Ask yourself: What storms are happening in my life that God is using to build my trust in Him? How is He trying to deepen my root system?