The stability of a tree is determined by the strength and depth of its root system. The stability of a man is determined by the depth of his inner self - the spirit of a man. Psalm 1 says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." The New Testament analogy to this principle is what Christ calls in John 15 as "abiding." Our inner man is limp without our connection to the Vine, Jesus Christ. The nourishment we need to maintain strength and make an impact in our generation comes from the life-giving relationship with Christ - daily! This "daily" is what produces depth. For the Christ-follower, this is not optional. Here are some dangers in living a shallow Christianity:
(1) When hard times come, we won’t be strong enough to weather them appropriately.
(2) As evil increases around us, we will miss opportunities to share the light and love of Christ.
(3) As new generations arrive on the scene, our legacy will be nothing more than second-hand Christianity.
However, the more we abide, the deeper our life becomes in Christ. And, the deeper our life, the more fruit - or, more good works are produced out of our life. John 15 tells us that bearing much fruit is a by-product of daily and deeper abiding.
So, going deeper is just that critical. Our only chance of becoming more like Christ stems from abiding and going deeper as Christ-followers. I share this prayer with John Piper. May it be yours as well:
"Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am."
(1) When hard times come, we won’t be strong enough to weather them appropriately.
(2) As evil increases around us, we will miss opportunities to share the light and love of Christ.
(3) As new generations arrive on the scene, our legacy will be nothing more than second-hand Christianity.
However, the more we abide, the deeper our life becomes in Christ. And, the deeper our life, the more fruit - or, more good works are produced out of our life. John 15 tells us that bearing much fruit is a by-product of daily and deeper abiding.
So, going deeper is just that critical. Our only chance of becoming more like Christ stems from abiding and going deeper as Christ-followers. I share this prayer with John Piper. May it be yours as well:
"Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am."
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