Rooted and Grounded part 1
I always say you don't have to keep doing what you're doing. If you want something different... do something different. But then I always put this little nugget on the end: Unless you're building something. Rome wasn't built in a day, right? You don't plant a seed and then immediately dig it up and get mad at it because it hasn't sprouted yet. You have to give it time to grow. 2 Peter 3:18 says it like this, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." We learn and grow. And in that way we never lose because we either win... or we learn. But it's important to understand where we start. And, quite honestly, we start at the end. We ARE complete in Him. We are already IN the Promised Land of rest because Jesus already finished the work over 2,000 years ago on the cross. He is our foundation. And according to 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, "According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereup. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Two keys here: 1. Jesus is the foundation. Period. He is the Rock that we stand on so that no matter what happens we will not be shaken. 2. You better take heed how you build on that foundation. And, listen, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to encourage you. Trying, like the wise masterbuilder Paul, to help you. This is not (ever) a "do it or else" situation. This is (always) a more excellent way situation. Because if you want to build something that lasts you need to build on the right foundation, and you need to know what and how to build. (Spoiler alert: Jesus is the carpenter. It's not "you" building at all, but HIM building in, and through, and as you. But you can either let Him do what He wants to do or you can try to do it yourself. You can fight uphill. Or, as Logan says, you can go with the flow. How's that for mixing my metaphors?) Here's what I'm trying to say: Understanding that Jesus is our foundation is the first step. Now we can start to build. We can start to grow. But what does it MEAN that Jesus is our foundation? Does it mean we should shove Him down people's throats every chance we get? Nosir! That just makes people choke. Turns them off. Makes them head for the hills. What it means is, "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:16-19). Get it? We're building the Kingdom of God (in a sense, although, again, it's already built. Maybe a better word is MANIFESTING the Kingdom of God). The Kingdom of love. And in order to build (or grow in) love you have to start with love. THAT'S our foundation. That's who Jesus is! God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in YOUR flesh. Love in YOUR body. So since love is the end, love also has to be the beginning. And it (He) also has to be everything in between! Alpha and Omega. Every breath we take and every move we make. From the inside (heart) to the outside (actions). Rooted and grounded in love.