by Pastor Darin Avery

For the most part it was cold in Missouri last week. But thankfully, while Deborah, the kids and I visited family and friends in the ‘Show Me’ state over Christmas, we were blessed with a couple of milder days and a chance to get some fresh air.

While enjoying one of these blue skied afternoons I couldn’t help but marvel at the trees in my parents’ back yard, all of which have been hand-planted by mom and dad over the last twenty-five years. One of these trees (a clump birch that I once could easily hurdle) now holds a swing my son and daughter love to use while visiting Gram’s and Papaw’s house. To some people trees may seem quite boring; they don’t do much for humans while living–except produce oxygen and pretty leaves, provide a little shade in the summer and a natural jungle-gym for adventureous young’uns; they just sort of stand there in the same place changing very little day-to-day. But then again who ever said firmness and rooted-ness are bad or boring?

It’s New Year’s Day, a day many people see as a chance for a clean break with the past, an opportunity to make changes, chart a new course and plan new adventures, do something different and exciting. Not many, I suspect, consider New Year’s Day an occasion for strengthening roots and staying put.

My annual Bible reading plan includes Psalm 1 as part of its New Year’s Day assignment. In Ps. 1:3 David says of the righteous person:

“He is like a tree,

          planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

          and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.”

 

Whatever life-alterations our lists of New Year’s resolutions may include (e.g. weight-loss, career change, new business ventures, exciting travel plans, educational pursuits, relationship goals, etc.), as Christ-followers we have a responsibility to seek spiritual growth and fruitfulness first and foremost. While other changes may come your way intentionally or unintentionally in 2014 that involve uprooting and moving on–whether from bad habits, unhealthy associations, etc.–make sure that the roots of your soul are continually reaching deeper and deeper into Christ by spending time in God’s Word. David credits the righteous person’s steadfastness and strength to his “delight in the law of the Lord” through daily and nightly meditation upon it (Ps. 1:2).

The trees in my parents’ yard didn’t grow fast, but grow they did–every single day since they were planted. Having moved away some thirteen years ago their growth in height and strength is much more dramatic and obvious to me than to my parents who’ve watched them every day. Likewise spiritual growth is a painfully slow process. In fact, by this time next year you may not see or sense much change at all. But remember, for a tree to grow strong and healthy enough above the ground to produce fruit, pretty leaves, shade in the summer, and branches stout enough to support a swing for squeeling kids, it first has to grow roots that no one will ever see.

Don’t neglect your spiritual roots this year! Get a Bible, a Bible-reading plan, a notebook and pen, a good Christian friend with whom to share your discoveries, and lastly, make it a point to pass the blessings of Christian rooted-ness to someone outside the faith by sharing the gospel verbally and in other ways. We don’t grow deep in Christ for our own sakes; we do the hard, invisible, deep and dirty work of growing spiritual roots so that our whole lives–visible and invisible–bring glory to Jesus, magnifying Him in a world in desperate need of Him.