But First, Rootedness: Abiding in Christ Before Striving for Fruitfulness
Max Lucado, Jesus: The God Who Knows Your Name.
Originally featured at thetrulyco.com.
I love to cook. There’s something so special and beautiful about preparing and serving a meal for those you love—nourishing the body with food and the soul with fellowship.
Knowing this passion, last summer my mum gave me a bouquet of fresh basil she’d picked from her garden. That particular week was a busy one and I didn’t have time to use it, so I placed the basil in a jar of water on my counter and promptly forgot about it.
The next week, my mum returned to visit and noticed the jar sitting on my countertop. But it wasn’t just a bouquet of basil anymore—the plants had sprouted roots and were desperately searching for nutrient-rich soil to root in.
It’s no secret that plants require sunlight, water, and dirt to thrive and produce fruit. Without these things, they will shrivel and die. (I have a plant graveyard in my basement that attests to this fact.)
Your relationship with Christ is the same.
It’s easy to get caught up in doing good works—reading your Bible, serving others, involving yourself in ministries, and giving as much as you can, to name a few. In doing so, your meter for what is valuable can become distorted. You may feel discouraged and depleted, knowing that your efforts are never enough. Think of Martha in Luke 10: she was hurrying about to prepare a meal for Jesus, distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. Jesus was physically in her house and she was still struggling with devoting time and attention to Him! I am often like Martha, getting easily distracted by the day-to-day of work and home. I miss out on what is more necessary: sitting at the feet of Jesus and simply being with Him.
Don’t get me wrong—fruitfulness in Christ is an important aspect of the Christian life. But being in Christ is a prerequisite for fruitfulness. Your primary calling isn’t to produce good fruit, to serve others well, or to preach the gospel; it is to abide in Christ.
Without soil, the basil in my jar of water eventually withered. It wasn’t rooted in anything, so it couldn’t survive. By the same token, without Christ, you cannot experience his sanctification in your life. You cannot become more like Christ without spending time with him. You cannot hope to produce fruit without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You need Christ. This truth is humbling and liberating at the same time because while you cannot produce fruit in and of yourself, you aren’t asked to either.
You don’t have to fabricate fruitfulness! You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through life trying to do more of what God requires. “'It’s not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
You are never abandoned by God. All he asks of you is to abide in him. To abide in his love. To rest, knowing that your salvation is based on his work and that “it is finished” (John 19:30). To be rooted and grounded in his love.
It is from this foundation, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that fruitfulness will spring. You don’t have to be enough, because Jesus already is. His invitation to you is this: “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4).
Fruitfulness always springs from rootedness. You don’t have to dredge up good works in your own strength. You are called to abide in him and open your heart to his great grace, which is rich and free. His strength and sustaining power are more than enough for your moment of need.
When you feel distraction and overwhelm bubbling up in a busy week, sit with Jesus, even if just for a moment. Cultivate pauses in your day where you recenter yourself in Christ.
Allow me to share with you three things that help me remain rooted in Christ.
Pause before opening your Bible.
Take a moment to just be with Jesus. If you need to, set a timer for two minutes. Allow this time to be devoted fully to being with God, opening your heart and hands to his presence, not asking for anything, but simply basking in his love.
Make your car a mini-sanctuary for Christ.
Turn on worship music. Listen to an audio of the Bible. Pray out loud. Let these moments be moments that are saturated in the presence of the Lord.
Corporate worship
Particularly in the form of prayer. Fellowship with other believers will uplift your heart and remind you that you are not alone. Bearing one another’s burdens in prayer opens up our hearts to receiving God’s love through others and is mutually encouraging.
You are invited to abide in Christ. He has promised to abide with you, upholding you with his righteous right arm. He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. Let us grow deep roots in our relationship with Christ, being rooted and grounded in love. Let us turn our eyes upon Jesus, as needful for our souls as the sun is to a garden. Let us abide.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Helen H. Lemmel, 1922).
