Root It Out

     Image ©Mark Faulkner 2011

"Stupid Weeds!"

Every summer these weed-like-things that look like tiny tree sprouts invade my lawn and poke their ugly heads up through, what is otherwise a pretty nice lawn. 

So, every time, I carefully dig down and try to pull them up by the root. But somehow, they keep coming back every couple of weeks. This has been going on for five or six years now.   

It's very frustrating—to say the least.

Somewhere along the line, over the last couple of years, I knew, because of the pattern these sprouts have taken across my lawn, that there obviously had to be a greater root system underneath that the sprouts were attached to.   And I have known for quite some time that I needed to find that doggone root, and root it out, once and for all.  I've just been procrastinating doing what I know had to be done.

Getting to the root of any problem is a lot of hard work.  It has been easier for me to just pull the growths out near the surface and keep them mowed down every week with the lawn mower. 

Out of sight, out of mind, right?

But the problem has only persisted and has been bugging me a lot.  It certainly hasn't just gone away by itself.

I had to finally do something about it.

And it was even harder work than I anticipated. I had to sit down and take several water breaks in the heat of the afternoon sun. Once I started to dig and located some of the root, I was amazed at just how extensive the root system was.  The thing was insidious!   One root that I dug up and started to pull out with all my strength was at least eight feet long, and it finally broke off at about ten feet.  There was much more root left, but that was all I could pull up in one piece.  

A tap root.

The root was about a foot underneath the surface and I had to dig deep to locate it and root it out.  But I was able to find most of it by going to each growth that I saw on the surface, and then dig down under each sprout and find the source. 

The surface of my lawn is a bit scarred today, but I can rest easier, knowing I got to the root of the problem, and solved it.  I know the lawn will ultimately heal as I water it and feed it with the right weed and feed.

Now, think about the analogy of my weed and root problem and apply that to your life. Think about your relationships and your personal habits. The stuff we see on the surface—the problems—such as division, miscommunication, marriage difficulties, as well as the sins of adultery, lust, pornography, substance abuse, over eating, lying (etc)—are just symptoms.  But the root of all these problems goes much, much deeper.

The root lies within our hearts.

I'll dig even deeper still and boldly state that the root of all our problems is due to our lack of a right relationship with Jesus Christ. 

A pastor friend of mine said the following to our group, at a men's retreat several years ago:

"Guys—every problem is a spiritual problem."

I think that is one of the most profoundly true statements that I have heard in my entire life.  

But to be honest, when I first heard it, I scoffed.  I thought to myself, "Well, sure, many problems are  spiritual problems. But every problem?  I don't know about that!" 

I was skeptical.

But over the last several years since that men's retreat, I have seen this to be painfully true in my own life, and in my heart.  And in the lives and hearts of many others.

Husbands; if you are not loving your wife sacrificially and unconditionally—as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, it's because you do not have a right relationship with Christ.  Certainly not a relationship where you are loving Him and are surrendered and obedient to Him.  As one friend of mine has said, "He's either Lord of all, or not at all."

Wives; if you are trying to control and manipulate your husband and are butting heads with him for spiritual leadership and control in the marriage, it's because you too do not have a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  Certainly not a relationship where you are loving Him and are surrendered and obedient to Him.  You're not under the cover of the shadow of His wings because you have stepped out on your own and tried to assume a role that God did not intend for you to have.  That's why you have no true peace and joy in your life.

If we truly are abiding in Jesus and are keeping ourselves in the love of Christ, we have surrendered our own selfish wants and feelings, and have chosen to fully trust Jesus as the Lord of our life, and then allow Him to manage it. 

As I encouraged a friend last night, who has no peace or joy of the Lord in his life, I encourage you to do this same thing—to ask the Lord to reveal to you if you really even know Him.  Not just know things about Him intellectually.  But to really know Him—personally and experientially.  Ask Him to reveal to you if you really are born again by His Spirit.  Are you truly a new creation in Christ? 

Are you really even saved?

Frankly, if you have no real joy and peace in your life, you need to ask yourself if you really know what Christ did for you on the Cross, and if you know how much He loves you.  Have you ever received His love and forgiveness?  Because, if you truly have, your life won't be ruled by your circumstances. You will have peace and joy in the Lord—even if, God forbid, your husband or your wife leaves you.  If you are not thankful for all that Christ has done for you, it's possible that you may have never received Him into your heart as your Savior. 

Cry out to the Lord today and ask Him to speak to you—to reveal to you if you really Know Him, or not.

I encouraged my friend again last night to cry out to the Lord for help. And he said, "I've done that, but it doesn't work!"

If what my friend said is true, then God is a liar.  But I know that God does not lie. 

Sadly, my friend does not believe God's promises.   Here are just a few.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  (John 6:35)

"In My Father’s house are many mansions; if that were not so, I would have told you. Behold, I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  (John 14:2-3)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)

"Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end." (John 13:1)

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (John 6:37)

"No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you."  (Joshua 1:5)

Jesus said He will give rest to all who are weary and burdened and who come to Him.  And He does not lie.

"Let God be true and every man a liar."  (Romans 3:4)

     Jesus either lives in you—or He doesn't.

     You either know and love God—or you don't.

     You're either saved—or you're not.

     There is no in-between. You need to know. 

You can sit in a pretty church building every week.  You can read the entire bible.  Maybe you went forward at a church service years ago. You can know a lot of things about God—and still not actually know Him personally.

The Bible says we are known by our fruit.   And the fruit of our lips should spring forth from a humble, thankful heart that is overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us.  He saved us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

If this overflowing thankfulness to Jesus is not the fruit of your lips, then you simply don't know Him.

Get to know Him.

     -Search your heart and cry out to Him today.

He is the true Vine—the root of all that is good. He is the only source of everlasting life.

     He alone is Love.

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.