Take a moment to picture a tree

An impressive engineering feat of the natural world isn’t it? Where exactly does the strength needed to keep it standing come from? While the sheer weight of the tree’s trunk would seemingly play a critical part, isn’t it really what’s going on below the surface that acts as the true source of strength?

The Roots

Stop and let this sink in; the incredible monument we see standing before us began as a small seed that simply took root. Those roots then developed underground into a deeply established system, securing the structure above from falling over.

How about the obvious similarities between a tree and a man then?

Each one of us starting no larger than a seed, yet with time and proper care maturing, like trees, into strong men.

But outside of the physical growth clearly seen, there is also an unseen spiritual growth at work. The health of a man here is largely owed to the placement and successful care of his Roots. A man placed in unhealthy ground, with little space to grow will turn out to be just that; unhealthy and unstable. But a man rooted in good soil that is well cared for will result in life unending.

Jeremiah 17:8 puts it like this:

‘He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its Roots by the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’

Regardless of what season of life you find yourself in, these qualities are truly what every man desires. We all want to be healthy, fruitful and evergreen; deeply rooted to stand the test of time.

So then the question we must ask ourselves is, Where are we Rooted?

Perhaps for some of us, our life feels a little shallow; not much going on below the surface causing us to feel unstable. If so, let’s consider digging out and re-planting in richer soil

For others, maybe we are simply needing more nourishment from The Son and true Stream of Life to yield rich abundant fruit.

Wherever you find yourself today, take some time to consider where your foundation and true source of strength resides.

For it is only once we have established and cultivated strong roots that will we ever begin to grow into the men we always dreamt of becoming… The men we were created to be