Protecting Our Roots

I will be the first to admit that I often struggle with keeping my priorities straight. It is sometimes more appealing to open up Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" and get absorbed in his humorous anecdotes as opposed to getting out my Bible and reading God's word. This is not a proud confession by any stretch of the imagination. However, after finishing "Protecting Your Roots", an Austin Stone podcast from 3/29/08, I feel more passionate about staying connected to the Lord through one-on-one time.

Matt Carter, the senior pastor at the Austin Stone, tells an interesting story about Sequoia Redwoods which are the world's tallest trees. In recent years, many of these massive have fallen after standing strong for centuries. After close examination, scientists deemed the cause for the collapse of the Redwoods to be the constant foot traffic of sightseers who walk past the giant figures on a regular basis. I find it unbelievable that the simple act of people treading the ground nearby the base of the trees would result in the fall of these enormous trees, which can be up to 250 feet tall.

The tie-in between the story about the trees and the message of the sermon is that without a strong, continuously growing relationship with the Lord, it is likely that the everyday foot traffic which we encounter in our daily happenings will eventually cause damage to our souls, subjecting us to ruinous consequences. In order to protect the root systems of the Sequoia Redwoods, nature conservationists created fences around the base of the trees which prevented individuals from trampling the ground above the roots. Similarly, we must build a defense around our hearts to protect us from Satan's attempts to lure us towards sin.

In John 15:5, Jesus proclaims, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." This verse is exceptionally powerful, especially in the last few words of the verse in which Jesus reiterates what we already know to be true, that without Him, we can do nothing. We need to have a passion in our lives that drives us to stay emotionally in tune and in love with our Lord and Savior. While attending Church, listening to pastors preach and dissecting podcasts is very well indeed and can be very beneficial, we need to be rely on Jesus for the majority of our spiritual feeding. We need to remember to sit at Gods' feet and be close with Him -- in doing so, we will build a stronger fence around our faith, protecting us from the lure of sinful desires.

I pray that the significance of this seemingly rudimentary message reaches out and grabs you the way that it did to me. So often I feel satisfied by opening up my iTunes and playing a podcast, following along in my Bible and taking notes. But a relationship with Christ is so much more than sermons or messages, it is about connectedness -- something that can only truly blossom and grow when you sit down, pray, and worship the Lord.

"Be still and know that I am God." -- Psalm 46:10

In His name,
Ailee