Firmly Rooted

…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:17 – 19

 

 

 

Most people call them weeds but I love them.  The snow drops, grape hyacinths, and I don’t know the names of the others. They always show up in my garden – and the yard – very early in the Spring. They are a ray of sunshine – a sign of hope, that warmer, better weather is on its way.

 

But it is time for them to go. Spring is actually here and I still listen to my mother on gardening so Mother’s day weekend is the time to plant. Last weekend I planted. My early Spring flowers that were  mostly done blooming anyway, needed to be taken out of the way- at least cut back.

 

I was in “tear it out” (as opposed to “cut it back”) mode as I was preparing to plant the annuals. Those “weeds” were tough. I grabbed and pulled and got a hand full of leaves. The bulbs and roots stayed right where they were! I was thankful – I will have those blooms to look forward to next year!

 

Why am I telling you about this? Look at the great example they set. Even in the church we have attitudes about people who are different – someone lesser in our view – just as many consider my flowers weeds. Somehow, they are people who some don’t think are as valuable as others.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people wishing away someone they are serving with on a committee or that they have to provide for in some way or other. Perhaps they bloom a little early or they stick their feet into a project and won’t let anyone else tear them away from it.

 

What struck me is that often these people have deeply rooted faith. They know and understand the love of God and the forgiveness offered to them through Christ in a much deeper way than I do. Because they have been let down and torn apart by people, they have learned to put their hope and trust in the Lord. When someone tries to rip them out, their roots don’t budge!  What a gift.

 

We all have some time in our lives when we are like my early Spring flowers. We may look like weeds, we show up at the wrong place or at the wrong time. We bloom too early with ideas that others think are foolish. We lose our bloom and just look like a raggedy old weed in the yard. Maybe we have just been beaten down by stormy weather and we look fragile and ugly before our time. The truth is, like my flowers, some people are uncomfortable when these are around.

 

So, what’s the Biblical prescription for this problem with “weeds” in our midst? The golden rule applies. “Do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” If we are not walking in their shoes now – we will be sooner or later. How do we want others to treat us under those circumstances?

 

God gives us plenty more clear instructions. If there is a ‘weed” that is difficult for you – maybe you would rather tear her out than deal with her again next year, consider these verses:

 

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Philippians 2:3

 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  John 15:12

 

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

 

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

I know that these are basic truths of the Christian faith, Christianity 101 for sure. But, do we think of them or live by them? Are we so comfortable in our faith or in our churches that we have forgotten some of the basic needs of the people God is adding to His kingdom? When they visit and try to join us are we happier to stick with the “perennials” of our congregation or are we willing to take someone who looks like they may be a weed”?  Maybe, we will find they have roots of faith that hold them firmly planted where they will repeatedly bloom and bring a ray of sunshine – a glimmer of hope – when things look bleak?