Deeply Rooted and Well-Nourished

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing. As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit. But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit. (Luke 8:11-15 CSB)

I love gardening analogies and parables, even though I am not a great gardener. However, one year, we had an awesome backyard garden. We grew corn, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and watermelons. Our harvest was delicious. Partaking of our fruits and vegetables was especially exciting because we planted them ourselves; we watched the tiny plants grow and blossom. They became deeply rooted and were well-nourished with care and attention.

There is a meme going around social media that says, “Drink water. Get sunlight. You’re basically a house plant with more complicated emotions.” While the meme is meant to be funny, we do need to treat ourselves like plants sometimes. Similar to my one thriving garden, we need to have deep roots and be well-nourished.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

The other day I was aimlessly scrolling through social media, and I found myself feeling slightly jealous of almost every picture I saw. I wish I was there. I wish I had that. I wish I could do that.

I realized I needed to get off of social media for a while, but more importantly, I needed to adjust my perspective. People and things are never going to fill the hole in our lives where God is supposed to be.

“Bloom where you are planted” is an oft-quoted phrase. It may be a tad cliché, but the sentiment is true. Bloom in the everyday ups and downs of life? In the midst of raising kids, cleaning house, running to and from practices and games? Yes, it is possible to bloom even during the not-so-exciting work of everyday life.

Grow Where You Are Planted

In addition to blooming, we should keep growing in our lives and faith. All the nourishment we need is right at our fingertips in God’s Word. It is important for us to read the Bible as much as we can. Reading the Bible is key to growth in our relationship with the Lord, and growing in our relationship with the Lord will keep us well-nourished and give us deep roots.

We must continue to be faithful in our seasons of growth. As Lindsay Hufford pointed out in a post earlier this year, “Spiritually, humans aren’t that different from flowers. When we focus on creating the image we present to the world, we risk stunting the quiet, slow growth God intended for us. I want to grow on God’s schedule, not the world’s schedule. I don’t want to hinder my spiritual development in exchange for showy petals on a stunted stalk.”

We want our focus to be on what the Lord wants for our lives and not what the world wants. We need to invest in purposeful time studying the Bible and spending quiet moments with the Lord. Even in the humdrum everydayness of our lives, the Lord can use us when we are firmly rooted in him.

Dear Lord, Thank you for letting us be a part of your plan. Give us the strength and discernment to develop deep roots in our faith. Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. (2 Peter 3:18 CSB)

Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times. (Mark 4:3-8 CSB)

So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude. (Colossians 2:6-7 CSB)

Reach for More

Set up a time when you can have a daily Bible study and “quiet time” with the Lord. Even if your to-do list is a mile long, make time with the Lord a priority. It will make your day so much better.

Dana Herndon is a writer, blogger, and middle school teacher. She and her husband live in Georgia with their three children. In addition to teaching and writing, Dana loves to read, paddle board, and sometimes run. She blogs about faith, family, and enjoying the everyday life at danaherndon.com.