How Deep Are Your Roots?

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed…. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Over the weekend, I did something remarkable. I cleaned out my flowerbeds. This is remarkable because I don’t care much for yard work because I am absolutely terrified of earthworms. I loathe them. (Not love them, loathe them.) But since I couldn’t get anyone else to pull the weeds out of the flowerbeds, I had to be brave and do it myself. One particular type of weed really caught my attention. The weed had to be about three feet tall and had leaves nearly as large as the ones on my trees. As I was trimming the hedges, I thought I might as well whack down the tall weeds rather than pull them up. You see, I assumed that because the weeds were gigantic in size, they had to have really deep roots that just had to have at least one earthworm attached to them. So, I was actually afraid to pull them up.

But after I had whacked them all down with the hedge clipper, I thought I would go ahead and take a chance on pulling one up. I’m no gardener, but it is my assumption that if I left the chopped off weed in the flowerbed with the root firmly planted in the ground, the weed would eventually grow back, bigger and stronger. So I yanked it up. And, to my surprise, the weed was plucked up with ease. It barely had roots! Weeds that were only two inches tall had deeper roots and were harder to pull out of the ground!

Of course, this got me thinking about spiritual matters, and how we sometimes seem to think that bigger means better. The person with the bigger house is more blessed. The church that tripled in size in three months must be doing something right. Someone who can quote a lot of scripture must be spiritual. But we all know that bigger is not always better. Cancer cells grow, and so do wild fires, but we all know that neither of these are good things.

Jesus told a parable of a man who went out to plant seed. Some of the seed fell on shallow soil, so when the plant grew, it had no root. The plant was easily scorched by the sun’s heat, just like that tall weed was easily plucked up out of my flowerbed because it had no root. After the root experience, I had to examine myself and ask, “How deep are my roots?” When I’m stuck in a long checkout line, “How deep are my roots?” When I’m forced to fill out a stack of paperwork because someone misplaced the paperwork I had already turned in, “How deep are my roots?” When someone says something that offends me, “How deep are my roots?” Will I remember the words of James 1:19, “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”? Or will my shallow root system allow the word, that should have been engrafted in me, to be easily plucked up?

I think we could all learn a lesson from the gigantic weed that had no root. Let us not become puffed up because we have a nice church to attend, live in a nice neighborhood, in a nice house, and drive a fine car. None of these things makes us spiritual, even reading our bibles every day doesn’t make us spiritual. But putting the word into practice and disciplining ourselves to stand firm when we face various trials will give us strong roots. And when the enemy comes to pluck us up, he will have to put up a fight and will eventually leave us alone and find someone easier to pick on. And, if you look in my flowerbed, you will still see a lot of those two-inch weeds there because they were just too hard to pull up. Their roots were too deep.

Listen Carefully

James 1:21-25
…humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and… goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.

"Yes, Ma'am," a kid says with a nod as Mom gives instructions or chastisements.

"Do you understand?" comes Mom's plea again.

"Yes, Ma'am," the child nods again. "I understand."

But while the "understand" is still on the tip of his tongue, the child jumps to another subject. I know I'm not the only parent who has had this experience of carefully explaining something to a child only to feel like the information literally went into one ear and passed quickly through the other.

This is the kind of listening James is speaking of in James 1:21-25. James is speaking to those of us who read the word, hear a sermon, read the best book ever written, or attend a life-changing conference, then turn around and do absolutely nothing about it. We merely listened to the word, and so deceived ourselves.

But James said blessed is the person who does not forget what he has heard, but goes on to do it. James follows this blessing with one of the most difficult precepts in the Bible:

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James 1:26

If we can't keep a tight rein on our tongues, our religion is worthless. Why? Many of the Proverbs give us the answer. We are considered fools when we can't control our tongues. With our tongues, we can destroy our homes and we can cause others to fall. And James had already told us in verse 19 to be slow to speak, or don’t be so quick to give an answer. This is especially true in the home.

Most of us tend to think before we speak when we are dealing with people outside our home, such as co-workers. But what about our children? Have you ever noticed how easily you can yell at your own child but show patience with someone else's? Being quick to listen and slow to speak would be a good precept to put into practice in our own homes, at least I know it is for me.

Let us not be the kind of people who merely listen to the word but do not put it into practice. Let us meditate on the word day and night so that we will be both doers as well as hearers.

Motor Mouth

Proverbs 18:2
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

I was a very shy kid who rarely talked. But since my grandfather was blind, I would talk to him non-stop because I knew he couldn't see my face. One day he said to me, "Little girl, you never shut up. I'm going to call you Motor Mouth." I must admit that it kind of hurt my feelings to be referred to as Motor Mouth.

Have you ever just felt like a fool after having completely dominated a conversation? You know what I mean. You are in a conversation, and for every one word the other person speaks, you speak ten. You didn't realize it at the time, but you made the conversation all about you. It actually should have been called an interview. The other person opens with a prompt, and you finish with a speech.

I must admit that I have done this before, on more than one occasion, and have felt like a complete fool. (Not a partial one, but a complete fool.) I have also been on the other side of the microphone as the interviewer, where I gave the prompts and had to sit and listen to the other person talk on and on and on and…. After a few conversations with a conversation-dominator, I usually decide that this person really is no fun to talk to at all. Maybe it's the converstaion-dominator in me that makes me feel this way.

Proverbs 18:2 tells us that the fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. A fool doesn't want to hear anyone else talk but himself. James 1:19 tells us that everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak. How much more pleasant our conversations would be if we could balance them out, if we would learn to love to listen as much as we love to speak.

This is true even with our children. Let us be patient with them in conversation and not always feel the need to dominate. Let them tell us about their day without interrupting and teach them to do the same with us. Let them tell us about their problems without always offering our unsolicited advice. Give them a chance to explain themselves when they're in trouble. Let them tell us what they want to be when they grow up without suggesting what we want them to be. Let us just lend a listening ear as well as teach them to do the same.

Living the Good Life

James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. What does James call a good life? Deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. Not deeds done in pride, or out of spite, obligation, or selfish ambition, but deeds done in humility. I read a quote that said, "Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully." These are the kind of deeds James is talking about, deeds done out of love, deeds done beautifully.

John chapter 13 tells us how Jesus showed his disciples "the full extent of his love" by washing their feet, which was definitely a deed done in humility. Jesus did this humble deed knowing that very soon, Judas would betray him, Peter would deny him, the others would desert him, and Thomas would doubt him. Yet, because of his humility, which is described in Philippians 2:6-8, he performed a selfless deed toward those who would soon show their selfishness.

James goes on to tell us that envy and selfish ambition do not come from heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil. Verse 16 says, "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." James describes heavenly wisdom as "pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." So the good life that James speaks of is not a life of selfish ambition in an attempt to lay up treasure for ourselves here on earth. Living the good life is living a giving life, doing good deeds in humility.

"Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." - James 3:18

You’re a Piece of Work!

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

"You're a piece of work!" We've all probably heard that phrase before. I heard it a few years ago, as a matter of fact, by a well-meaning friend who was not happy with something I had done. Undoubtedly, I was left with hurt feelings simply because being called a piece of work is not usually considered a compliment. But, as I reflected on Ephesians 2:10, I realized that I truly am a piece of work because I am God's workmanship.

When I handed my life over to Jesus, trusting Him as my Lord and King, I became a piece of work. God created something new in me, separate from what my parents created when they gave me their DNA. God has prepared "good works" for me, works He prepared in advance of my ever accepting Jesus as my Savior.

I Peter 4:10 tells us that we should use whatever gift we have received to encourage others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. In other words, whatever gifts God has bestowed upon us, we are to use to encourage others. This is how God's grace is administered here on earth. When we neglect to use our gifts to encourage others, we neglect to administer God's grace. We also neglect to do those good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. And when we neglect to use our gifts, someone is missing out on God's grace.

God made us new creations in Christ: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17)" We are new creations, God's workmanship, a piece of work, with gifts to be used to encourage, or build up, one another. So the next time someone calls you a piece of work, take it as a compliment and get busy doing the work that has been prepared for you to do.

Can You Pass the Test?

James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

I remember having to take a written exam to obtain a new driver's license in Missouri. My husband asked me whether I had studied. I found that to be amusing seeing that I had been driving for years and this would be my second time obtaining a license in Missouri. I believe my reply was something like, "Who studies for a driver's license? You either know the rules or you don't." Well, wouldn't you know it, I failed the exam the next day.

The lady behind the counter said, "You scored a 60. Would you like an exam book to study and take the test again?"

Sheepishly, I replied, "Yes, thank you."

You see, little did I know that the new exams asked questions about DUI's, a category in which I didn't know the rules. So I proceeded to study that section. I retook the test. Handed it in, and then was told that I had scored a 60 again. You see, the second test had questions about car seat safety, another category in which I didn't know the rules. Finally, after the third try, I passed, with much luck, and an 80.

Trials in life remind me of that Missouri driver's license exam. The test is not as easy as one might think, so a little studying is necessary. Also, no two tests are the same, so you need to study the entire book and not just a particular category. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth. Lately, I know that God has been testing me in some areas where I really need a lot of work. Unfortunately, like with that driver's exam, I have been failing the test. And with each failure, I can almost hear the Holy Spirit say, "Would you like to study the Book and try again?" And, with my heart wrenching, I have to start all over again, knowing that I will have to take that same test, only with a different, unknown, challenge each time.

James 1:3 says that the testing of our faith develops perseverance. The state of Missouri would not issue me a driver's license until I passed that test. God works the same way. We will not receive what He has in store for us until we pass His test.

Friend or Foe?

Psalm 25:14
The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

Confide - to trust (in someone), especially by sharing secrets; to tell about as a secret.
Confidant - a close, trusted friend.

I feel extremely privileged when someone trusts me enough to share a secret, not a piece of gossip about someone else, but something about herself that she doesn't want anyone else to know except me. That's when I know that I am considered a trusted friend, a confidant. David tells us in Psalm 25:14 that the Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. In other words, God lets those who fear him know about his plans, his promises, or his covenant. In Daniel chapter 9, while Daniel was praying for the people of Judah and Israel, the angel Gabriel came to him with the following greeting in verses 22 and 23: "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed." The angel referred to Daniel as "highly esteemed". Daniel was a friend of God; as a result, God confided in Daniel, giving him visions that will not come to pass until the end of this present age.

The apostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians 2:9,10 that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." The King James Version of this scripture says that God has revealed his plans to those who love him. Friend or foe? Isn't it good to know that we don't have to wander about, hopelessly wondering what is on God's mind? Verses 10 - 12 and 16 say, "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us…. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST - through the Holy Spirit. We have God's diary - the Bible. Second Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us ..." We can know God's will. We can be holy. We can live godly lives. We can be just like Jesus in our thoughts and actions. It is our choice. "…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…" (Joshua 24:15) Friend or foe?