Being Rooted

A few things have lead me to this post today.  Mostly, it's been my daily devotions coupled with life happenings.

Persistent sin sucks. You can let it define you and drag you through the mire, or you can confess it and let Jesus lift you over that same mire.  The thing is, many people think confessing is the last step. It really is not. It might not be the first step either.  My point is that it is a STEP in the right direction.

Repenting is a HUGE step that, I feel, gets glossed over. 'We fall into the trap of thinking 'But I already admitted I was guilty...do I really have to change?'  The answer is YES!  A resounding YES!  BUT!  We must be rooted in God before that change can occur.

If we just change directions it is likely that direction, while maybe better, isn't the right one. Without reading God's directions, talking to wise godly people who have been in your place before, or even praying, you might as well be a sailing ship without a compass on a cloudy night.

For me, often, I make good changes, but neglect to get to the root of the sin. Like raspberry vines, even though I cut down the visible bush, the untouched root system will spring up alive and well and produce its fruit.

Sometimes we have to go through a really ugly uprooting phase in order to oust the sin completely. Digging up an entire line of roots doesn't sound fun, does it? And that's why, I'm afraid, the majority of us 'conquer' the same sin time and again. We rarely get down to the nitty gritty. We are afraid of the open, vulnerable hole that will be left. We are unsure of what will be planted in its place.

Here's what we can do instead of worrying: fertilize the soil. Rid it completely of weeds. Search out anything that might hinder good fruit and GET RID OF IT! Build a fence. Ask others to help set up a guard around that fence. and so on the list can go.

Let the Holy Spirit plant His fruit. Watch it grow. Let Him prune you into a lovely garden that others are drawn to because of HIS handiwork! Remember, though to be firmly rooted in Him and His Word.


What are you growing in the garden of your life?

XO,
J

Soli Deo Gloria