Become Rooted, Not Root-Bound

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Col. 2: 6-7 NIV)

I have a confession. I’ve become a plant lady. Let me clarify; I’m not a perfect plant lady, but a plant lady, nonetheless. This process began about a year and a half ago when we moved into our new home. Before that, I had one plant from IKEA, which I had successfully kept alive for a couple of years.

Before moving, I had met a new friend, and she was into plants. She had sparked my interest, and when we moved and had more house space, I knew I wanted to add more plants to our home. I felt like this was something I could take on. After all, all my kids are now potty trained and able to feed themselves. I had the capacity to allow something else in my life that needed nurturing.

It started with my friend gifting me a plant as a housewarming, then I bought one at Trader Joe’s, and then it got a little out of hand, and I was told I needed to slow my roll with buying plants. At my last count, there were fourteen plants in my home. Not terrible, but a big jump from one.

Over the last year and a half, I have begun following plant people on Instagram; I have a reminder set on my phone to water my plants, and I have even repotted root-bound plants and have attempted to propagate another. I told you, full-blown plant lady.

To coincide with my new fondness for plants, my one word for 2023 is Rooted. In studying and digging into what I wanted my rooted year to look like, I can’t help but think of my plants.

The roots truly are the lifeline for plants. They are how the plants drink water; the roots are what grow under and in the soil to get the nutrients the plants need to survive; however, if not properly cared for, they can become root-bound.

Root-bound is when the roots grow too large for their container and become a tangled mess. The end result, if not addressed, is starvation, as the roots cannot obtain the nutrients they need from the soil.

Unfortunately, if we are not careful, we can become root-bound ourselves. We are called to live our lives for the glory of God; however, when we don’t continue to grow in our love and understanding of God, we, too, will starve. If we don’t actively share the truths of Jesus with others, we will become bound in what we already know. Roots need space to grow and spread out. They are not meant to be confined. The same is true of us. We are called to know God and make him known. We need not be limited in our growth and sharing of the good news.

So, what does living a rooted life look like? I think it starts with connecting with God and his word daily. If we are not connected to him, we will not grow. We need to read his word and continue to grow in our knowledge of him. We also need to connect with him in prayer daily.

Second, it is taking what we know and sharing it with the world who doesn’t. When our relationship with God is only vertical, and we don’t share his love with others (horizontal), that is when we can become root-bound.

Dear heavenly Father, you are the creator of the world and the gardener of our lives. Thank you, Lord, for being the source of life to our weary and withering souls. Lord, help us to live a rooted life. A life that is dependent on you and you alone. Help us to erase any distractions that keep us from being connected to you, and bolden our faith to share your love with those who don’t know you. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8 NIV)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15: 1-8 NIV)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:14-19 ESV)

Reach for More

Spring is right around the corner. Whether you are a vegetable gardener, love to plant new blooms, or have a few house plants, remind yourself that you, too, need to be watered and fed by the giver of life. Allow your roots to grow deep and then wide. Become rooted, not root-bound.

Heather Gerwing is living the full life with her husband, Jeff, four kids, and a dog in Metro Detroit. Heather enjoys reading, writing, coffee-ing, and serving in youth ministry. She was born a Jersey girl and feels most at home on a beach. She is the host of the monthly link-up, Share Four Somethings. You can join Heather on the journey to living the full life at www.heathergerwing.com.