Rooted and Grounded

My trusty chain saw was in the garage gathering dust. Cold weather was on its way, and we needed some more wood to burn. So, I grabbed the saw and extension power cords (the saw is electric) and headed out back. We are blessed with a lot of trees on our property, and they occasionally die. At that point, they need to be cut down, both for safety and for us to burn during our occasional frigid Texas winter days.

While out cutting, I noticed two trees side by side. They were both dead. One was leaning too close to some overhead phone and power lines, so I got it down. The next one was obviously dead, too. Not wanting it to crash into the overhead lines, I reached over to pull on it and see what it would take to get it down.

To my surprise, the tree was easily pulled over. In fact, the bottom of the tree came right out of the ground. The roots had rotted, and offered no resistance as I tugged on the tree. Down it came.

If we are looking for them, we can often find life-lessons all around us. I got to thinking about that tree. A season ago, it was a living thing. Putting on leaves. Providing a resting place for birds, a playground for squirrels, and shade down below. Now…nothing. Ready to be cut up and burned.

Perhaps, like me, you have seen that happen in the lives of leaders. They stand out, stand tall, and bring benefit to those around them. They are living. They are serving. They have purpose. But somehow, some way, they fail to be nourished. Roots, that at one time went deep in order to grow and flourish, now receive nothing…and shrivel up. No strength. No nourishment to the rest of the tree. Nothing. Soon, they are no longer growing or leading. And sometimes they simply fall and are forgotten. Sad.

As leaders…and as spiritual leaders, especially…we need to keep our roots strong and the nourishment flowing. We need to be curious about God and His Word. We need to learn more about the ministry or craft to which we are called. We need to take on new life in order to be a blessing and a benefit to those around us.

We had a beautiful sunrise this morning. The sky was splashed with deep and vibrant colors. It reminded me that, like God’s mercies, His creativity is new every morning. The Lord is all about new things. Through the prophet Isaiah He said:

[blockquote author=”Isaiah 43:19 NLT” link=”” target=”_blank”]For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?….[/blockquote]

Are you renewing your strength? Are you being nourished daily? Are you learning the new things that God is doing around you? Be careful. The roots of that tree in my backyard didn’t atrophy overnight. It happened little by little.

Let the fresh Spirit of our Lord renew you and nourish you daily. And may you continue to learn and grow in the areas of service and ministry God has given you. Stand strong and tall. Our world needs strong leaders who have the wisdom and power of God flowing through them daily. That is what He is calling you to be. His strong, tall tree…providing help, encouragement, truth, and refreshment to all around you.