“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:6-7

As a kid I loved to swim in the ocean. Most of the places we traveled to provided pretty calm seas. The waves and ocean’s power was muted. Every once in a while there were some waves that you could body surf, but mostly they were small ones.

As such, I had to get more creative in how I would play in the water. I would find the place where the waves were crashing and I would dig my feet into the sand. Without using my hands I would try to stay in the same place for as long as possible. Waves would push me one way as it came to shore. And the same wave would pull me the opposite way as it retreated back out to the depths.

Back and forth. Ebbs and flows. With my feet rooted in deep I would fight the waves. Eventually I would loose. I got pushed back and forth and my feet wouldn’t hold.

Are you rooted deep? Are you feet firmly in the rock?

Being rooted in wet sand isn’t too helpful if you’re trying to stay still.

Roots are a vital part of vegetation. They hold fast as the wind blows and the earth quakes. Most trees have roots that extends deep. Especially tall trees. Their roots need to be anchored in to keep the tree from toppling over as the wind blows.

The tallest trees in the world reside in Northern California. The redwood trees can grow to over 350 feet tall. And yet their roots only go down between 6 and 12 feet below the surface. Ponder that for a moment. Over a football field tall with roots extending the distance of the end zone. Yet, these massive trees rarely fall over. How?

It’s because they are connected. A redwood doesn’t grow by itself. It grows in a forest and the roots extend out instead of down. They branch out over 50 feet in every direction and they intertwine with the other trees growing in the area. They are rooted together.

What about you? Do your roots extend down into the firm foundation of Jesus? I hope so. He is the rock that will not be moved. Because He is the one who rolled the stone away. Latching on to Him is how you navigate the storms of this life. But, His design is not that you only go deep. In Christ, and through His people, go wide.

The Christian life is meant to be lived intertwined with other members of the body of Christ. Link together. Our shared strength is greater that the strength we need to go it alone. Our collective power, fueled by Christ’s Spirit, withstands the storms.

Are you rooted? Assess yourself for a moment, do you need to intentionally focus on going deeper into Jesus? Or do you need to focus time on interweaving your faith with others? Chances are you need to grow in one of these areas.

Being rooted is half of Christ’s call on your life from today’s scripture. The other element is being built up. Growing. Ascending in faithful service, love and care for others. Being built is about formation according to the blueprint. Faith is far more than solely a spiritual exercise. Formation takes flesh and bone. It is how your faith is lived. To be built up is to grow into the blueprint God had written for you.

All of it is a result of receiving Jesus. All of it, the rooting and building, is a gift given by the almighty. And all of it is an invitation to walk the Jesus Way with Him.

So tie up your hiking boots. Let’s walk through the forest together.

Pray that the Spirit would open your eyes to seize the chance to hold the door for someone as they draw closer to Jesus.