As we walked along the trail at the edge of the forest there were so many huge trees that had been blown down. They had stood tall on the edge of the forest. As the strong winds blew against the giant trunks, and the branches swayed, the roots worked loose and the trees tumbled onto their side. There they lay with their roots exposed. Giants felled to rot into the ground.
As I stared at the roots I noticed that they were not long or thick. The ground from which they had been torn was rich and dark with the goodness of hundreds of years of composting. The tall tree had all the appearance of being strong and fruitful and set in good soil. And yet it did not have roots deep or thick enough to help it stand against the storms that blew by.
I wondered how many people’s lives are like that. They think they are standing tall, being good, doing good, having all the appearance of strength and growth and yet, when the storms come, they fall because they have failed to root themselves deeply in the Lord. They have pressed out into all the things going on around them and failed to press in to the One who is the source of all life and strength. Or maybe it was an image for some churches that have all the appearance of being missional, pushing up and out, but they are actually missing Jesus as the source and strength of all that they do.
The fallen trees made me sad, but I walked on claiming the command and the promise in Colossians: “You must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Col 2:6-7.
Sam is an Inspire Missioner, who was walking with Inspire Missioners in a forest in Northern Ireland in January.
There are lots of ways that Inspire can help you to root deeply in God. Here are a few:
- Join in an online learning community to share fellowship with people around the world as you learn and grow in the way of life. Click here to find out more.
- Share in the community of the Inspire Prayer Group to receive regular prayer requests and answers to prayer through our Signal message group. Contact the Prayer Group for more information.
- Connect with an Inspire Missioner to talk about how to start a fellowship band to draw together with people who help each other to stay more deeply connected to God. Contact us to connect.
Read another related refection: Deep Rootedness
