Deepening your faith

Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

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.

This verse is the basis for the well-known “2:7 Series” discipleship course offered by the Navigators Christian organization.  The 2:7 program was designed to build habit forming patterns in living for Christ and is based on the four action verbs found in Colossians 2:7:

1.     rooted in Christ

2.     built up in Christ

3.     strengthened in the faith

4.     overflowing with thankfulness to God

The progression makes sense.  Think of a new plant that you place in the ground, let’s say your favorite flower.  For the flower to grow, it must take root.  Once it takes root it starts to grow and begins to flourish.  The greater it grows the more flourishing it looks.  And, for a flower, the more flourishing it is, the more beautiful it appears and will draw high praise from those who admire its beauty. 

For trees to grow, their roots need to go deep into the soil in order to find water and nutrients for such growth.  For Christians to grow in their spiritual outlook and influence in bearing fruit in others’ lives, they must commit to deepening their spiritual roots in God’s Word (“truth” in Col 2:7).  The best, perhaps, only way to accomplish this is daily intake and meditation on God’s Word.  Haphazard Bible study will not deepen spiritual roots and not result in bearing fruit.  Both Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:8 speak of the importance of a life that is like a tree planted by streams of water whose roots are deep and much fruit is borne.    

There is something special about the mind that is saturated with God’s Word.  The person who allows his/her mind to be saturated with God’s Word becomes a very strong Christian person.  Indeed, faith is dependent on knowing the God’s Word (Romans 10:17).  And what is the result?  You will be overflowing with thankfulness to God.  The more you study the Bible, the more your faith deepens and grows and, consequently, the more that your life overflows with thanksgiving.  Somehow knowing and applying His Word enables you to see life from His perspective and what you see gives you a higher sense of appreciation and gratitude for all He is and has done. 

Here’s another benefit of being firmly rooted, grounded, and built up in the faith.  Such a person will bear fruit in other lives and when you see others benefiting from your actions and words, you are going to be especially thankful for what God has done in and with your life.  Read and connect John 15:5 and 15:7.  Jesus says that whoever abides in Him will bear much fruit (15:5).  He also says both abiding in Him and His words abiding in you will greatly affect answered prayer in your life (15:7).  Answered prayer(s) certainly elicit great thankfulness, who can argue about this great truth?

How deeply rooted and grounded are you in the Word of God and in your faith?  Are you overflowing with thankfulness?  Do you know for sure that you are bearing fruit---having a positive spiritual impact---in others’ lives?  Are your spiritual roots so deep and your faith so strong that nothing in the world around you—no matter how bad the news—can change how you feel—especially your thanksgiving--about God through Jesus being Savior and Lord of your life?  Keep striving to reach this level of spiritual depth and growth.