Uncommen: SowSample

Growing Roots

The seed has germinated as we enter week three, and growth begins. It is here where our decisions make all the difference. There once was the story of two gardeners who planted gardens on the same day. The subtle difference was how they cared for their gardens. The first gardener tends to it daily, tenderly loving the plants, checking for disease, bugs, and other detrimental to its growth. However, the second gardener simply left the plants to tend to themselves. As the growth cycle progressed, one neighbor had a bountiful harvest of healthy fruits and vegetables. The other ended up with a patch grown over plants, mired in decay with a minimal crop. The difference boiled down to the care of each garden one tended to it. The other ignored it.

To be rooted in the Christian life is very similar in that many of us can give our lives to Christ on the same day, but grow and mature differently or not at all. The first Christian reads the Bible daily. While the second one attends church on Sunday. The first one will become involved in small groups, seek wise counsel, and engage with a mentor. While the second one checks the box for attendance each week and is satisfied with the status quo. As time passes, the second one who checked the box for church attendance looks at the other Christian and wonders how the first transformed. They see them being asked to mentor others, share a joyful personality, or lead small groups. One Christian tended to their soul like the gardeners, while the other one just attended. Transformation requires effort and connectivity to the source and creator of life itself.

It is essential to move the Gospels from head to heart for transformation. (Luke 6:27) Meditate on the scripture for a moment, then ask God to touch you and reveal what it might say to you. Too often, scripture becomes ingrained knowledge or information gathering that develops an overreliance on the method. An intimate relationship develops when we immerse ourselves in the scripture to spark a response from God. Central to our Christian faith is the call to be fruitful. It is essential to be rooted with a solid foundation to bear fruit.

Building a solid foundation and making ourselves open and available to God is essential. Scripture will penetrate to our very depths through practice to create strong roots. Much like the nutrient to the plant roots, our souls need to be rooted. Eventually, scripture reveals what we cannot know on our own because of our natural defense mechanisms. Through openness, we genuinely encounter an intimate relationship with God through scripture. (Luke 6:27)

Challenge and Questions:

Read Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

Is there a feeling of discomfort that arises to love your enemies?

Why do I feel the way I do?