“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” {Colossians 2:7}
These words have been on my heart for several years now. I remember so vividly sitting at work one day and could smell this lingering odor. I took out the trash, tidied up the area, and wiped down the counter hoping that I would dissolve the culprit. After all that, it was still there. I looked around the area admiring the fresh tulips that were sitting on the counter in a vase. I was thinking about how beautiful they were a few days ago and how I wished we could get more to replace them. Then it hit me— it was the tulips that were smelling up the entire store! As I sat there staring at the wilted flowers, I wondered why dead flowers end up smelling so bad even when they start out smelling so good.
As I pondered this stupid thought, I realized that it is because they have been cut off from the root. The life-giving root! Without the root, they would not have ever bloomed or become so beautiful for us all to enjoy.
I think this concept relates closely to our relationship with God. He is our root. He gives us everything and more. When we are walking closely with God our aroma changes. He supplies the nutrients that we need and our lives radiate His joy and love.
However, when we cut ourselves off from His root, we are usually able to scoot by for a couple days, weeks, or even months but over time our petals begin to fall off or wilt. We begin to go back to our old habits, become more self-focused, and loose the beautiful blooms we once carried with us. Just like the flowers in the vase, we begin to loose what made us so beautiful to begin with. We allow temporary, earthly things to satisfy. We buy the lie that the water in the vase is just as sustainable as the root at the source.
Our relationship with God is the most important relationship that we can pursue. There is none beside Him— He is our life-giver, healer, leader, and all in all. Let us remember that there is nothing better or more sustaining than a life lived in communion with Christ.
I pray that Christians would be known by our aroma and that our lives would exemplify the root that gives us sustaining, everlasting peace, and joy.
I think about this every time I walk past flowers that are starting to decay and I am so thankful for this reminder to check what I am allowing to sustain me. He is after our hearts, let Him move in you.
E M I L Y 