My friend noticed that his maple tree was shedding leaves prematurely. The tree doctor told him his tree was suffering from a girdling root. It had taken 30 years, but the offending root had encircled the tree and was now slowly choking it. If my friend didn’t dig down and hack the root off, the tree would die.
The Pharisees had allowed the root of pride and jealousy to smother their love for God. When Jesus cast out a demon from a blind and mute man, they credited His miracle to Satan (Matthew 12:24). Jesus replied that it wouldn’t make sense for Satan to drive out Satan, and He warned that the Pharisees had become bad trees that could only produce bad fruit (Matthew 12:33-35).
Like my friend’s tree, we can look fine on the outside, while inside a root of pride, envy, or lust slowly suffocates our spiritual lives. The damage can go deep, far beneath the surface where others can’t see it. But if we don’t take decisive action, we’ll begin to show signs of decay and spiritual death.
It’s vital that we also root out the evil that begins to grow between us and others. Hebrews 12:15 commands, “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”
Paul says that after we’ve uprooted evil, we keep healthy by planting our roots in Jesus, so that “[our] roots will grow down into God’s love and keep [us] strong” (Ephesians 3:17). He also says, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 15:1-16
More:
Read Ephesians 3:14-21 to learn what feeds our roots and makes us healthy and strong.
Next:
What’s the state of your roots—your spiritual condition? What personal or relational sin must you address before it grows and chokes you?
Gary Shultz on September 16, 2014 at 7:16 am
It does seem that anything growing needs constant care. We must be careful with all growth, with weeds, pests, decay and unhealthy growth. We need the rich soil from God’s garden. We want to bring the harvest God delights in. Thank you.
Tom Felten on September 16, 2014 at 8:49 am
Mike, it’s so true that bitterness can destroy relationships with others and also damage our relationship with God. May we seek to avoid that “girdling root” by addressing the deep hurts and negative feelings into our hearts. By bringing them to God and addressing them with others we find light and spiritual healing.
rollingwoodfarm on September 16, 2014 at 9:45 am
Great reminder, Mike. Hebrews 12:15 tells us, See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. . .”
Mike Wittmer on September 16, 2014 at 10:27 am
Good point, Gary. We must continually tend our hearts, or allow the Spirit to cultivate and pull the weeds of bitterness, as rollingwoodfarm states. It can be painful, but so necessary.