Rootedness
What happens to your relationship with God when the brokenness of this world, the evils of humankind, or the frailty of your flesh interrupts your plans and dreams? What happens to your church when society seems passively indifferent or even actively hostile to the Gospel? What happens when the storms of life—the all-too-real trials and temptations of ordinary reality—bring disappointment, discouragement, challenge, or weariness?
Do you become angry, fearful, anxious, or overwhelmed? Do you blame the world, pine for the “good old days,” or seek to numb out through the abuse of substances or social media? Do you try to outwork the problem, exhausting yourself with your own seemingly feeble efforts?
When I think of California’s majestic redwood groves and realize how many of these massive trees have survived hundreds of years of forest fires, lightning strikes, vigorous storms, and drought, I’m even more in awe of how they thrive and multiply—not just in spite of these trials but, in some ways, because of them.
The children of Israel faced overwhelming military defeat, the destruction of their most prestigious cities and culture, the collapse of their religious system and temple, exilic slavery, and little hope of seeing substantive change in their own lifetimes. Yet in Jeremiah 29, the Lord sends the exiles a message. He calls them not to deny reality, compromise their faith, or run away from the moment and location in which God has placed them, but rather to steward their circumstances for God’s glory and their own good:
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters . . . multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4–7 ESV)
If you’d been given that instruction, wouldn’t you ask, “How?” Maybe you’ve felt something akin to what they must have felt and cried out, “God, how can I faithfully steward this chaotic, evil, overwhelming season in my life? I know what You want, but I just don’t have the strength or stability to do it.”
I believe part of the answer is found in the concept of rootedness. When the storms of life come down on us as individuals or churches, what we’re rooted in will significantly determine how we endure them. What is the source of our security, significance, and satisfaction? From what will we draw daily strength, joy, purpose, and value?
In Ephesians 3:17–19, the Apostle Paul prays that the Ephesian believers would be “rooted and grounded in love.” He’s praying that when the trials of life strike, the roots of their lives will be buried deeply in their belovedness. Jesus calls for the same thing when He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9)
Don’t uproot your life from the solid foundation of God’s love for you, shown most perfectly in and through Jesus Christ. When droughts or storms come, let your roots grow deeper into His love. You may not know your next steps or how to fix your problems, but you can face them with the sure and certain reality that you are profoundly, deeply, and redemptively loved. Paul continues this teaching when he tells the Colossians that the way to walk through life is to be “rooted and built up in” Jesus Christ—the visible, complete, salvific expression of God’s love for you. (Colossians 2:6–7)
Compared with many trees, redwood roots are not particularly deep. Yet redwoods survive earthquakes, fires, droughts, floods, and more because their root systems are incredibly broad and densely intertwined with those of other redwoods. When one tree is shaken, the surrounding trees help support and sustain it.
As believers, one of the most tangible ways we experience and are reminded of our rootedness in God’s love is through our intimate interconnection with other believers. The love of God—made manifest ultimately through Jesus and expressed tangibly in ordinary contemporary reality through His Bride, the church—becomes the secret to flourishing and fulfilling our God-given purpose even when the trials of life abound.
So, sisters and brothers, if you’re in a season of uncertainty, struggle, or challenge, reach out to your brothers and sisters. Let them be tangible reminders of God’s love for you shown in Christ Jesus. And as various trials abound and you seek to be faithful in the moments God has prepared for you, remember this: you are far more deeply loved by the steadfast Lover of your soul than you can comprehend or imagine. He is pouring forth His great love upon you as you root your life and ministry in Him. And His intent is for you to both endure and flourish.
