Even Deeper Roots

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5, NIV).

I really enjoy working outside when I’m helping someone else! This past fall I found myself helping a friend do some clean up around the outside of her house. 

We started using hedge trimmers to cut back some of the large bushes that lined the front of her house, and eventually decided to tackle the task of uprooting some bushes that were dying and needed to go. We are strong, independent women and knew we could do it on our own, right? 

Let me tell you, the roots of those bushes were stubborn! Thankfully, this friend I was helping has all the tools you might need to accomplish the task. We worked collaboratively to get the job done as she was piling and pulling the branches around to a burn pile in the backyard (along with help from her son.) While they worked, I started uprooting the smaller bushes.

I dug the shovel into the ground and immediately realized the roots were deeper than I thought. I had to work various angles, and even found myself jumping on the shovel to help get it deeper into the ground. At one point I thought I had finally dug deep enough to get to the root, but the roots had grown down so deep they had spread and invaded other areas of the landscaping.

After moving around some big rocks, and taking turns digging, we finally got to the root and removed the bush. We created such a big mess, but felt so victorious!

As I stepped back to look around, I realized my life is such a reflection of that moment. When I started going to counseling a number of years ago one of the biggest challenges was the process of understanding just how deep the roots of sin and trauma were in my life. 

I don’t say that to sound dramatic, because I believe that’s true for all of us. Original sin in the Garden of Eden introduced evil into the world in a way that God never intended. Since that time, as followers of Jesus we are all working through the process of uprooting our lives and replanting them in the hope of Christ. 

Jesus’ death on the cross served as a ransom for all of our sins, for all time, if we choose to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. And while salvation comes only from believing and professing our faith in Him, the process of sanctification requires work on our part. 

Like that day in my friend's landscaping, it often requires digging down deep. Roots of shame, fear, anxiety, anger, etc. take hold and invade areas of our lives all around us. But if we want to experience a life of joy, we must not be afraid of the uprooting process.

When I step back and examine my life before I knew a personal relationship with Jesus, it parallels so well to that day in my friend’s yard. It was a mess of roots that were leading to death. The process is hard. We have to dig deep and expose things we may not want to see, but it is always worth it. 

When we plant ourselves in Christ, it will always lead to life, and we can be reminded of the truth found in Revelation 21:5 that says: He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”