“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7 NIV
As a Christian, we find our identity to be from a different source. The source is the very root of the word ‘Christian’, Christ. Most people are proud of where they are from, what the source of their heritage is, where they are rooted. Just as a person who lives in Pennsylvania is known as a Pennsylvanian, those who live in Christ are known as Christians.
Each Pennsylvanian is in charge of either acknowledging that their roots are from Pennsylvania or not. Each Christian is in charge of either acknowledging whether they are rooted in Christ or not. Paul is reminding the church at Colossae that their spiritual life is rooted in Jesus Christ. Being a Christian in Paul’s time was not an easy endeavor, you had to hide what you believed if you were around the religious leaders of your area because they all hated Jesus.
Paul, is these verses and many more in the book of Colossians, is encouraging his brothers and sisters in Christ to remain steadfast. To remember where they have placed their hearts and faith, what they have been taught about Jesus and a new way of living, a new way of believing and a new way of having faith. To remember that they are rooted in Christ.
Paul is giving us the same encouragement about remembering where our lives are rooted once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. For us to grow in our faith and spiritual walk with Jesus, we can draw our strength from the Holy Spirit who lives inside each believer, from Jesus who died and rose to give us a path to eternal salvation and from God Himself who loves us and wants to be involved in our lives.
So, where are you rooted? Who do you belong to?