Jesus also said, “Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer’s help, because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle.”
(Mark 4:26-29, NLT)
Jesus often used the illustration of growing crops, or producing fruit, to teach us how God’s Kingdom principles work in our lives. I think He did this for two reasons: the first is simply because he was speaking to people who were very familiar with the principles of farming, but I believe He also used these particular illustrations because they are so appropriate. Instant success, instant maturity, and instant fulfillment–these are ideas that our culture is enamored with, but that I am personally convinced are a fantasy. I am convinced that anything of real value, real lasting strength, anything that will accurately and consistently show forth God’s glory on this earth, will take time to develop, and will grow in stages. A healthy, fruitful, plant will be a plant that is deeply rooted, consistently tended, and well watered over time. The same is true for a Godly life.
One of the most important elements in any growth process is the element of rootedness. In order for any tree to be strong, healthy, and fruitful, it must have a good root system. A root system serves to keep a tree upright during a storm. It connects the tree with the necessary food and water supplies. And in many cases, new growth actually comes up out of the root system. A weak root system means a weak and stunted tree. A poor root system in our lives, means that our potential will be stunted. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that is systematically cutting off the roots that once made it strong.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6, 7, NIV).
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, (Psalms 92:12-14, NKJV).
These are just two of many scriptures that emphasize the idea of being rooted. A rooted life is a life with established foundations that are never abandoned. A rooted person stands in timeless truths and is not moved by the changing winds of popular culture and Christian fads. A rooted believer consistently feeds on, and draws strength from, the Word and the Spirit of God. This person is not easily deceived, discouraged, or dislodged–they make steady progress and produce lasting fruit.
I say all of this today to make one main point. While there are certainly times in life when God moves us physically, or when relationships change, our culture has developed the devastating habit of seeing change as THE solution to any perceived discomfort. We have elevated personal comfort and happiness to an unrealistic at best, and often idolatrous, level in our lives. Too often if a job situation becomes uncomfortable, or we don’t see the progress that we had hoped in the timeframe that we wanted, we abandon that job and look for another. If our spouse is not “fulfilling our needs” in the way we had anticipated, we abandon that marriage and look for another. If life becomes difficult, people will leave homes, jobs, spouses, and even children, thinking that change is the solution.
Aside from the wreckage of homes, lives, and the general economy that this mindset is causing, there is a deep and personal tragedy to all of this. When we don’t learn the lesson of staying rooted, sticking it out through difficult times, digging around the struggling tree one more time in an effort to see it grow healthy and strong (see Luke 13:6-9), we miss the blessing of genuine fruitfulness. Real fruit is the result of steady, healthy, living over the long term. It can’t be rushed and there is no shortcut. But fruit is the source of true fulfillment. There is nothing more satisfying in this life than to be at a place where you begin to reap the harvest after years of cultivating, sowing, and tending a crop. I think this should be the experience of parents, and grandparents. This is the reward of the CEO who did not quit when others bailed out. This is the joy of the older married couple who stuck it out through some very difficult years. This is the pleasure of a father as he watches his grown children make quality decisions.
Fruit – it isn’t fast, it isn’t magic, it is often hard work. Fruit is good not only for eating, but it is full of good seed for planting. Fruit is both the end of one life cycle and the promise of the next. Jesus said that those who make their permanent homes in Him, and allow His word to make its permanent home in them, will produce much fruit, and fruit that will last. Stay steady in God. Don’t be too quick to move in the face of difficulty. Pray, seek God, many times He will say, “stay, fight, stand, be patient.” The reward will be genuine fruit that lasts.
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