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Written by Abby Baumgartner, an Iron Rose Sister Ministries volunteer in Texas

 In school, did you ever try to grow a plant in a wet paper towel? My elementary school teacher gave each student a small seed, a wet paper towel, and a Ziploc bag. We placed the seed inside the folded towel, the towel inside the bag, and the bag by a window. Over the course of a week, we watched the seeds sprout, but the plants did not last long. A seedling cannot survive in a wet paper towel forever — in fact, the stem snaps if the plant is not rooted in a source of strength and sustenance. A plant cannot live and grow without affixing its roots to something stronger than itself.

This seemingly trivial science lesson rings true in life, too. When we rely on our own abilities to grow, we are successful for a time, but without being rooted in a deeper source of strength, we continually fall short. Scripture reflects this idea, too. When the LORD led the Israelites out of Egypt, they committed to following the living God who performed miracles, brought them out of captivity, and parted the Red Sea. Yet their growth in trusting God had not taken root — they still questioned how He would provide food and water, doubted His protection, and consistently chose their own desires over closeness to God.

But, before I judge the Israelites of old, I must remember that I struggle with the very same things. Scripture says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23 ESV). If I were able to fix my own flaws, I would not be in need of a Savior. I see areas of life where I want to grow, but making positive, lasting change is hard work! For example, I struggled mightily with gossip in the past. I wanted to honor Christ and the others by ending my sinful habits, but my willpower was not enough. The good news that I was “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Ro 3:24). This was not lost on me, but I wanted to grow in my ability to honor Him fully… What could I do?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Col 2:6-7 NKJV).

A core temptation of life is to say I can be the source of my own growth, that within me I contain all that is needed to become a better person. While each person must play a part in creating healthy change in their lives, growth only takes root when we are “rooted” in Christ. This passage in Colossians has become a personal favorite because it highlights my humility, Christ’s sufficiency, and our consistency.

First, my humility: Paul says we should “walk” in Christ the same way we “received” Christ (Col 2:6). I received Christ in the humblest of situations. I was aware of my insufficiency and my need for a Savior, and I approached Christ with childlike dependence. In cutting gossip from my relationships, I recognized that my strength could only go so far — I needed to let go of my pride and turn to Christ for help.

Second, Christ’s sufficiency: Christ is more than capable of meeting my needs because when I am “rooted” in Him, I am also “built up” and “established” (Col 2:7). When I focus more on all that Christ gives me, I learn to trust Him to sustain my need for connection that I tried to fill through gossip. Only then could I let go of the fear that drove me to seek connection in unhealthy ways.

Finally, our consistency: Over time, we develop consistency in our relationship with Christ. As I see His work in my life, my roots run deep, and I grow toward “abounding in [Christ and faith] with thanksgiving” (Col 2:7). Now, my life yields the fruit of joy and thanksgiving because my roots are in Christ.

As you go forth today, think: How can you remember your root in Christ, and how can you look for the fruit of that rootedness?

I want to leave you with the words of the song “Grace by Which I Stand” by Keith Green. I absolutely love this contemporary Christian song because it reminds me that any need met, any decision made, any modification of my character can only “stand” and last by the grace of God. Here is how the song goes:

Lord, the feelings are not the same
I guess I'm older
I guess I've changed
And how I wish it had been explained
That as you're growing
You must remember
That nothing lasts
Except the grace of God
By which I stand in Jesus
I know that I would surely fall away
Except for grace
By which I am saved
Lord, I remember that special way
I vowed to serve You
When it was brand new
But like Peter, I can't even watch and pray
One hour with You
And I bet I could deny You, too
And nothing lasts
Except the grace of God
By which I stand in Jesus
I'm sure that my whole life would waste away
Except for grace
By which I'm saved
Well, nothing lasts
Except the grace of God
By which I stand in Jesus
I know that I would surely fall away
Except for grace
By which I am saved

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Written by Sharit Saman Zapata, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Peru

Imagine a tree in the desert that, from afar, seems strong and robust, but when you get closer, you discover that it is dry, without sap or fruit, and rotten inside. Its strength was only an appearance. Now imagine another tree by a river, full of fruits and shiny leaves; it does not struggle to survive, it grows calmly, and that is why it overflows with life.

Which of the two trees is more like our spiritual life?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.(Ps 1:1-3; NIV)

Many of us, after years in the Church, learn to see ourselves well from afar: we speak like Christians, we move in environments of faith, we master biblical passages and practice disciplines... but inside, something does not grow. The dangerous thing is to stagnate, to get used to living like this, to do the "right" things without satisfaction: we pray, we read the Bible, we surround ourselves with Christians... and we are still empty.

This is a real struggle, but we should not allow ourselves to remain in this state for long or settle. There is a big difference between being busy with things of God and being really rooted in Him.

Some tips we can take from Psalm 1:1-3:

1. Stop walking where you shouldn't.

"the one who does not walk in step with the wicked..."

Before speaking of roots, the psalmist points in the direction: how can we grow in God if we listen to voices and make decisions that lead us away from Him? It is like a tree in dry ground: its fruits, if there are any, will be contaminated. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Mt 6:24). Many times, we do not grow because we have our hearts divided between obedience and comfort and we do not want to let go of what prevents us from moving forward.

2. Stop "trying" and start reveling.

"whose delight is in the law of the Lord."

Here we are going to find the real problem: it is not a lack of discipline; it is a lack of delight. You can read the Bible every day and still be dry, we can pray and still be empty, all this because God is not looking for routines: He is looking for genuine love. And if we think about it, no one needs reminders to do something they love. Psalm 42:1 says, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." That is our reference, it is not an obligation… it is hunger. If your relationship with God feels heavy, it is not a problem of agenda... It's a heart problem. This is because a tree should not simply visit water, it should live connected to it.

3. Stay, don't just pass by.

"who meditates on his law day and night"

Sometimes we treat God as a quick stop: a short devotional, a prayer before bed, a song on the road, while the rest of our life is disconnected. Jesus says, "apart from me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5). It doesn't just say a little, it says NOTHING. It is like a state-of-the-art cell phone—although it has all the potential, without being charged or connected, it is useless. So is your spiritual life if you do not abide in Him.

4. The fruit will be inevitable if the roots are real and firm.

"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season"

Many people get frustrated looking for immediate fruit, but the passage says it will be in due time. Like the tree that stands by its source, without comparing or forcing itself, it only strives to stay at its source, then the fruit comes naturally. In Galatians 5:22–23 we see the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace,... This fruit grows when we are connected. If there is no fruit, the problem is not the fruit, but the roots.

You don't need another spiritual strategy or a perfect plan; you need to decide TODAY where you are planted. You can be busy with Christian stuff or be a really rooted woman by the river. Those two things are not the same. How much longer are you going to settle for a life that seems strong on the outside, but is dry on the inside?