Growing in the Gospel: A 5-Day DevotionalSample

Tangled Roots

Sometimes it feels like we’re not getting any “better.” Maybe we’ve trusted Christ for years and thought our heart would be a garden by now—watered into full bloom by the Word of God and the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit, a garden with lush greens, soft petals, magnificent colors—evidence of the gracious Gardener’s work. But instead, we find the hidden buds of holiness while on our knees pulling at the roots of much larger plants: selfishness, impatience, idolatry. With every new fruit bud, we discover another rooted weed—tangled around itself and running three feet underground. The exhaustion from digging and pulling and cutting the weeds can feel like too much. What’s the point?

We’re growing in a world where life and death exist next to each other. We’re growing, but we’re sinning. We love God, but we don’t obey God. No matter how hard we weed, we’re still not perfect gardens. How do we keep our hope when who we are isn’t who we want to be?

We need to remember God’s whole story—from garden to glory. If we understand what it means to be in this part of the plan, we’ll be able to rightly understand what God is doing and how we grow in holiness. Paul understood this, and with a single sentence to the Philippians, he shows us how to recognize the Gardener’s work, press forward in our efforts, and keep our hope:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it [Christ’s righteousness] my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil. 3:12).

Paul states the obvious: he’s not perfect. He knows sin is rooted in his heart, and so do we. Are any of us surprised when we yell with ease from the couch rather than do the hard work of addressing the heart issue in our child? Is it shocking that we’d like our kids’ behavior to match our “good kids” checklist because everyone is looking at us right now? These moments aren’t surprises. There are always weeds in our hearts; that’s the reality of the fallen garden.