Victory Is Yours: Overcome Life’s Challenges God's WaySample

Day 6: Go Deep!

In Ephesians 3, Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would be rooted and grounded, filled and full. This is maturity. This is what God the Father brings to fruition for His children through faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s look at this a little more closely. According to Bible commentators, the words rooted and grounded express a simple idea: to be deeply fixed and securely settled. Colossians 2:7 speaks of being “firmly rooted and now being built up in [Christ] and established in your faith.” Here’s what’s interesting about the kind of growth being mentioned here.

Matthew Henry observed that “spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root.” James Ellicott wrote, “The idea implied in ‘rooted’ is of the striking down deeper and spreading wider into the soil.” He adds that while we typically think of growing upward, “here that growth is downward, deeper and deeper into...communion with God in Christ.”

What happens then? As God’s people grow deep and strong at the root in their love for Christ, they are able to stand tall, no matter what storms may come.

If you’re not seeing as much fruit or foliage in your relationship with God as you’d like, or you sense you are weak at the roots, let me suggest something on a practical level: Instead of going wider—adding more spiritual disciplines—go deeper. Start using a good study Bible for your Scripture reading instead of a basic Bible. Rather than just praying alone, seek out a prayer partner or prayer group. If you love to journal, buy one that gets you interacting with and meditating on God’s thoughts as they’re communicated through His Word.

Biblically speaking, you can grow upward and grow downward in your love for Christ at the same time. As you do, you’ll grow outward too. All three are godly pursuits. Just make sure you’re growing.

Think About It: If you only throw seed on the surface of the soil, some shoots may sprout, but they won’t stand for long. Going deep is the stabilizer for going up.