Rooted and Strengthened

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

When we stop going forward, we stall; when we stall, we can fall. We received Christ Jesus as Lord; now we are to continue to live with him as our Lord. We should conduct every area of our lives in conscious submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Plants without roots become tumbleweeds. It is the same for Christians that are not rooted in Christ; they are blown about by every wind of doctrine or any new appealing idea that comes along. Roots don’t exist for themselves: they exist to give the plant strength and help the plant get its necessary nutrients. The plant grows naturally when it is living in the right environment (rooted and strengthened). We grow naturally in Christ as live a faithful life, relying on his grace (just as we were taught).

One of the natural outcomes of a growing spiritual life is thankfulness. A thankful believer is not easily led away from Christ. A discontented, grumbling, whiny believer, however, will be easy prey for false teachers who are more than willing to offer “just what you’ve been missing.”