Winter may be southern California’s finest season. The temps are moderate (we’ve been in the 80s for most of February) and winter rains turn the hills into a lush green with native grasses. But weeds accompany the native grasses. Often abundantly. Our house has a slope, about 20 feet high and 90 feet long, covered with ice plant. I’ve discovered weeding it often is best, but navigating the bank in my old steel baseball cleats in my 70s can wear me out. So, I do it in stages. Just a few weeks ago I finished the last stage, and pulled out the weed shown in the pic.
The green above ground portion was decently long, 9 ¼”, but the root surprised me, at 10 ¾”. And obviously, that has a spiritual link for the pic to appear here. Often, God works in our lives more beneath the surface than on it. And while some of that may move above the surface, much will not. So, two tips on building some deep roots.
First, let’s apply this to others, in how we judge them. I’m haunted by the principle “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). We don’t see what God is doing in the heart of another person, work that hasn’t yet made its way to the surface. Maybe we’d all be better off if we viewed others with grace?
Second, let’s apply this our ourselves, in how we cultivate the deep roots that allow fine growth above ground, in time. We begin that by developing a close connection with God. I like the verse “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). We strive to be aware of God each moment of our day. Step by step. And in our awareness, we tell ourselves that he is our Lord, we are one of his followers. Jesus added another dimension to growing our connection to him, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Frankly, at one time God’s commands seemed to ruin my fun, but I’ve learned that what he commands or forbids work to our benefit. Disobedience is sin because it brings more long-term damage than pleasure. And, because God is holy, each time we disobey, we become less close to him. Each time we obey, we become closer to him.
Too often, we work on what can be seen on the outside, and that is important. But let’s also focus on building deep roots, on what is typically not seen.
Kick Starting the Application
Does the external importance sometimes distract you from internal issues? Which internal ones are you most apt to ignore? How can you build a better balance between the external and internal?