Roots and FruitsSample

The Big Picture: Where’s the Root?

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Think about your favorite fruit or plant. How does it grow? What makes it healthy?

When it comes to our spiritual lives, some Christians believe that doing good things produces healthy fruit. But is that what Galatians chapter 5 tells us? Certainly not. It actually tells us that doing good is the fruit which is produced by a healthy root system. We’re just like our favorite plants! When our roots are healthy, we bear healthy fruit. When our roots are unhealthy, we bear unhealthy fruit. Sometimes sin can be choking out our root system, and sometimes it might just be some unforeseen life circumstance that’s doing it. But we know that Jesus came and died to set us free. When He died, rose again and ascended to Heaven, He left us with The Holy Spirit living inside of us so that we would not be enslaved to sin. Why is this important? It’s important because our root system comes first and foremost from outside of ourselves and our circumstances, and this is a good thing! Because it means we do not need ourselves to meet freedom—it is all God! The Holy Spirit ensures that Jesus, our eternally healthy “root,” will always be with us and will always be ready to produce healthy fruit within us. This is part of our freedom! 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Christ is within each of us, and He is our helper in times of need. There is hope in this promise—hope that God is going to go before and fight for us! But our heart posture is crucial as well. Over the next couple of days, we are going to look through some practical ways to deepen our roots by focusing on our relationship with Him.

Ask yourself: What is weakening the root system in your heart right now? For example, depression, anxiety, family struggles, or craving to fit in or be accepted?