Between our neighbors’ lush, green lawns, our yard sat gray and bald. Bare circles with occasional patches of dried sprigs of grass announced something was substandard. Without realizing it, we’d had an uninvited visitor invade our well-maintained landscape. An armadillo, it seemed, had become quite comfortable digging for his meals in our sod, uprooting our grass in the process. Typically, the vine-like tentacles of the St. Augustine ground cover would sink into the soil and quickly take root to fill in any patchy areas. This time, however, its mini branches reached out, stiff and unyielding once they’d been dislodged. As a result, the mower’s blades cut away any potential of regrowth, and like a man losing hair, the spot expanded with each cutting. Similar unsightly conditions can happen to our spirit.
Surprisingly, when we are at our most fruitful and about to enter a new place of flourishing in the Spirit, we can have an unexpected trespasser creep into our lives. When there have been successes, abundant blessings, and great spiritual highs, we can become a little less fervent in the sacrificing that got us to those pinnacles. Our focus can shift, ever so slightly, off of God and onto the ministry we are involved in, our enjoyment of our blessings can lessens the hunger for the Word, and our spiritual satisfaction can remove the urgency of prayer, especially if that prayer happens to interrupt our sleep. While we likely continue our spiritual disciplines, some of the passion for them wanes. We aren’t quite complacent, but we are less on guard, thus, more vulnerable to attack. A spiritual armadillo can waddle right in and uproot something that was firmly planted.
Left unattended, an exposed root system grows hard, dry, and barren. Bent away from its source of supply, it protrudes, exposed to the cutting edge of the tool meant to beautify it. Instead of a mere clipping of good overgrowth, the distended root gets tangled around the blade and tears remaining good grass out of the ground. Uprooted spiritual areas of our lives can become the same. For example, pride in our well-done job or God-given opportunity severs the connection to the One who empowered that success. Offense at our brother in Christ refuses to yield to forgiveness. Failure into a sin is covered with an excuse rather than repented of. Then, when the sharp edge of the Word comes to shape us, we can’t submit to its pruning. Instead, our resistance tears away even more of our attachments to what’s right. Pride in accomplishment becomes arrogance and self-righteousness. Offense at one person becomes bitterness. A failure becomes a stronghold.
But there is hope. The best option is to look out for critter attack in the first place. In trouble? Cry out to God. In transition? Seek His will. Feeling blessed? Humbly offer gratitude and seek His protection from the adversary. Should there be an uprooting along the way, hope remains. Just as several months of preparing the soil and sowing fresh seeds, resulted in new offshoots emerging to fill in the ugly, scarred front yard, so the carefully cultivated heart has the potential to regrow its spiritual depth and reconnect with the Savior. Spiritually speaking, there’s no reason to remain bald. Surrendered to God, your life can remain lush and flourishing, just like a planting of the Lord should be.
Tip/tidbit: Grow your spiritual roots today. Dig into the soil of God’s Word. Repent for any known offenses toward God or others and continue to water your spirit with prayer and submission. The seeds of God’s Word will grow, and you will again have direction, meaning, and spiritual connection.
Surprisingly, when we are at our most fruitful and about to enter a new place of flourishing in the Spirit, we can have an unexpected trespasser creep into our lives. When there have been successes, abundant blessings, and great spiritual highs, we can become a little less fervent in the sacrificing that got us to those pinnacles. Our focus can shift, ever so slightly, off of God and onto the ministry we are involved in, our enjoyment of our blessings can lessens the hunger for the Word, and our spiritual satisfaction can remove the urgency of prayer, especially if that prayer happens to interrupt our sleep. While we likely continue our spiritual disciplines, some of the passion for them wanes. We aren’t quite complacent, but we are less on guard, thus, more vulnerable to attack. A spiritual armadillo can waddle right in and uproot something that was firmly planted.
Left unattended, an exposed root system grows hard, dry, and barren. Bent away from its source of supply, it protrudes, exposed to the cutting edge of the tool meant to beautify it. Instead of a mere clipping of good overgrowth, the distended root gets tangled around the blade and tears remaining good grass out of the ground. Uprooted spiritual areas of our lives can become the same. For example, pride in our well-done job or God-given opportunity severs the connection to the One who empowered that success. Offense at our brother in Christ refuses to yield to forgiveness. Failure into a sin is covered with an excuse rather than repented of. Then, when the sharp edge of the Word comes to shape us, we can’t submit to its pruning. Instead, our resistance tears away even more of our attachments to what’s right. Pride in accomplishment becomes arrogance and self-righteousness. Offense at one person becomes bitterness. A failure becomes a stronghold.
But there is hope. The best option is to look out for critter attack in the first place. In trouble? Cry out to God. In transition? Seek His will. Feeling blessed? Humbly offer gratitude and seek His protection from the adversary. Should there be an uprooting along the way, hope remains. Just as several months of preparing the soil and sowing fresh seeds, resulted in new offshoots emerging to fill in the ugly, scarred front yard, so the carefully cultivated heart has the potential to regrow its spiritual depth and reconnect with the Savior. Spiritually speaking, there’s no reason to remain bald. Surrendered to God, your life can remain lush and flourishing, just like a planting of the Lord should be.
Tip/tidbit: Grow your spiritual roots today. Dig into the soil of God’s Word. Repent for any known offenses toward God or others and continue to water your spirit with prayer and submission. The seeds of God’s Word will grow, and you will again have direction, meaning, and spiritual connection.
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