Good Roots

March 17

(Luke 6:45-46 NIV) “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. {46} Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?”

(Colossians 2:6-10 NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, {7} rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. {8} See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. {9} For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, {10} and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”

Roots are important. They nourish and support the fruit tree. The root system will determine a tree’s longevity and production. But Jesus is talking about more than trees today. He’s talking to us. Our hearts are the soil where we are rooted. The fruit growing in our lives comes from within. Good hearts produce good fruit. But if our hearts are bad, we will live badly and behave badly. Jesus asks one of the most potent questions in Scripture: “Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?” If we are going to call Jesus “Lord”, then we need to live like He is Lord. We must do what he says. And if our lives are rooted in Jesus, good fruit will grow in our lives. Look inside yourself. Ponder your life. We will never reach perfection on this side of the grave, but we can make progress that is measurable. Eliminate the excuses. Strive for higher ground, deeper roots, and better fruit. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day