Root-bound, Part 2

II Peter 3:18 …grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:10-11a …that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power…

We began to look at the problem of being spiritually root-bound in yesterday’s devotional. There, we looked to God’s pruning (“trimming”) as part of the answer when we’ve “hit the wall” somewhere in our walk and aren’t really growing.

Aside from the emotional and spiritual barriers we looked at yesterday, there is another reason we might be root-bound: perhaps we have gotten too big for our container and need to be replanted. Now this is not a situation where we “think of [ourselves] more highly than [we] ought to think” (Romans 12:3), and we believe we’re meant for greater things.

But perhaps we are made for other things than what we’ve been doing. Perhaps our ministries have grown too small as other parts of our lives have grown larger by comparison. Or we’ve allowed ourselves to stay in the corner or in the shadows, and God has been working on us to come out and serve in a greater capacity. Perhaps, now, there is a greater calling. And yes, God might be calling you out of your comfort zone, out of your life as you knew it, or even to another church or city.

In the natural, it’s often hard to get a plant out of its container—its roots might have become stuck to the sides. If you pull without preparing it—even if your goal is to make it a healthier plant, the roots might break in the wrong places and the nourishment system may be greatly compromised. Even the plant itself might tend to break if torn away without proper planning.

One easy way to get it ready to be transplanted is to soak it with water first. One easy way for us to prepare ourselves for a move of God is to soak ourselves, too—in His presence, in His Word, in worship and in prayer. Make some sacrifices and spend more time with Him. Drop a few things and add time in prayer. Drench yourself in His word, allowing it to be absorbed like never before.

Lean into relationships with God’s people instead of backing away from them. If you have unhealthy worldly relationships, find a way to move away from them and replace some of them with healthy relationships with your spiritual family. When you go to church, open your heart all the way, like a hungry baby bird looking to be fed by its mother. Jump into the life of your church, getting involved and serving where you can. There’s something about getting involved that releases us.

Do you want God to move in your life? Make yourself movable by soaking yourself in all He has for you. If you find yourself growing too large for your current container, you can trust that God will find a new, more appropriate one for you!

Prayer: Lord, I never want to get “stuck” where You have planted me. Help me to soak myself in You to the point where You can move me anywhere, at any time. Thank You for so many ways to do that.