The ground is slowly defrosting after a giant snowstorm paused life a couple of weeks ago. My wife got excited about the softening dirt because she's been itching to dig a giant hole to bury her new composting system. As she dug the hole last weekend, our kids scurried over to see what she was doing. (Because all kids love digging holes in dirt.)
Yet, as we dug deep enough to bury the plastic box, the kids were shocked when they found roots! None of our trees are big enough to have roots like that. So where were the roots coming from? Across our property line and under our fence, roots extended from a large tree over 20 feet away - the same tree that drops all the leaves they play in every fall.
The height and breadth of that tree is directly connected to the roots which we dug through that day. (Don’t worry - they were small roots - we aren’t tree murderers!) The growth our kids had seen happening above ground was possible because of the growth that was happening underground.
This same dynamic is at play in our lives. The growth and flourishing we want to see externally is only possible when we are deeply rooted and flourishing internally.
In Philippians 1, the Apostle Paul describes this reality. “I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding...May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”
On the night before he was crucified, Jesus had this same conversation with His disciples. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing...if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.”
While Jesus wants to never let us forget the importance of remaining and roots, we live in a world obsessed with external signs of growth. In our world,
Growth = Success
Growth = More
Growth = Excitement
Growth = Validation
Growth = Appreciation
But, here’s the truth. You don’t grow, and you don’t sustain growth, by getting caught up in what is seen. You grow and sustain growth by focusing on what is unseen.
It’s what we do when no one is looking that makes possible those things that everyone is looking for.
So how do you stay rooted in a world that is obsessed with fruits, not roots?
1. Focus more on what God says about you rather than what people say about you.
I believe Jesus heard His identity from His Father after His baptism in Mark 1 because the Father knew Jesus would be tempted by adoring crowds. What God says about us is the truest thing about us. So, let’s tune into our identity in Christ, focusing on what God says about us.
2. Focus more on the process of growth rather than the outcome of growth.
When we obsess over the outcomes of life, we try to control what is God's responsibility, not ours. Obedience is our responsibility; the outcome is God's. So, take the next step in front of you, trusting God with the map of where that step will lead. Focus on the process of faithfully following Jesus in building deep roots. Trust Him to bring the fruit!
3. Focus more on being with God rather than what you’re doing for God.
In his book, Secrets of the Vine, Bruce Wilkerson wrote about his lessons from surviving burnout. One lesson was “God doesn’t want you to do more for Him; God wants you to be more with Him.” What if we focused on rooting ourselves in God’s love for us, being present with Him, not needing to perform or achieve anything? The gifts God has for us cannot be achieved; they can only be received.
4. Focus more on practicing gratitude for what God has done in your life rather than comparing yourself to what God is doing in someone else’s life.
President Teddy Roosevelt was correct when he said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” If comparison was a problem during Roosevelt’s time, we’ve certainly far eclipsed those problems with our experience today. Instead of comparing and envying the “fruits” of others, what if we practiced gratitude? We can’t be truly grateful for what we have and envious of someone else simultaneously. I’ve learned the hard way that practicing gratitude in lean times prepares our hearts for abundant times. If you don’t thank God for what you have now, you’ll be tempted to take credit for what He brings into your life later.
Ultimately, what matters most is what lasts. As the song “Graves into Gardens” reminds us,
“Man's empty praise and treasures that fade are never enough.”
RELATED CONTENT: "Graves Into Gardens" by Elevation Worship (ft. Brandon Lake)
Growing in Christlikeness amidst all of our challenges today will require deep roots. With Christ, deep roots always lead to abundant fruit. Real fruit that lasts!
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer with the coolest last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He helps hurting people forgive others through his Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com
