Remember Your Spiritual Roots - Martin Wiles

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17 NLT

With little roots, Tom sold most of his belongings and headed out.

Tom had a fragile childhood. His father was known as a rowdy type, a sailor with a woman in every port. Naturally, things between his mother and father fell apart because his father wouldn’t stop carousing. Then, the day came when his mom met a man from Florida. Before he knew it, they were married and moving to Florida—without him.

Tom was left to live with his grandmother, who lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and their two children. His aunt and uncle became his parents, and his two cousins became his brother and sister.

Tom’s life wasn’t much different than his father’s. None of his marriages lasted long. Since he couldn’t father his own children, when the marriage dissolved, so did all the roots that went with it. When his last wife died from cancer, Tom sold almost everything he had, loaded his horses and belongings in a trailer, and hit the road. 

Sometimes, I feel a little like Tom. As a preacher’s kid and then a preacher myself, moving from place to place came with the territory. We often missed family reunions because of church, so I depended greatly on my grandmother to keep me updated. Mom and Dad’s sister are the only family matriarchs my family has left.

Although my earthly roots are somewhat fragmented—and now relatively shallow—my spiritual roots run deep. Distance, divorce, and death can shatter and fragment genealogical roots, but the root that extends into God’s love is deep. In fact, it is a tap root with no end.

Others may leave us in life for numerous reasons. We ourselves will one day leave this earth behind. But if we are rooted in God’s love, we have a large family planted worldwide. Though our physical families dwindle and fragment, our spiritual families are found anywhere we go because we find people rooted in God’s love.

When it appears your family roots are slowly dissipating, remember how large your spiritual family is. Pray for them and enjoy spending time with them.

Father, I thank you for giving me spiritual family all across this globe. 

Tweetable: How deep are your spiritual roots? 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Walk-on Wednesday - Removing the Bitter Roots - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

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. Hebrews 12:15 NLT

I pegged her as a troublemaker from the moment I met her.

My pastor had identified her as the same long before I came to the church. Every Sunday, she sat on the back pew with folded arms and a sly smirk. No song or message seemed to penetrate her tough façade. She was a long-time member that members had passively permitted to run the church. Previous pastors had allowed it, but her current pastor wasn’t granting her the same privileges. Though the new pastor had stripped her authority, she remained at the church until she died, spreading her root of bitterness to all who interacted with her.

The writer cautioned first-century churches against such roots of bitterness. They might show up in the form of legalists, false teachers, or persecutors. Some were enamored with “do and don’t” lists, while others didn’t believe in Jesus as the sole means of salvation. The church had the responsibility of rooting out these bitter roots.

I’ve been associated with many churches because of my upbringing and profession. I’ve never found a perfect one, nor do I expect to. Every church I’ve belonged to had a group or a person who thought it was their God-given right to run the church. None did with sincerity, and ulterior motives were always present.

While I shouldn’t expect perfect churches and can’t control the actions of others, it’s my responsibility to help lovingly root out anything that causes discord, disunity, and false teachings. How to do it productively and wisely hinges on God’s wisdom which he is anxious to give. Others may misunderstand us when we act, but God wants right and peace to prevail in his churches. As a member, it’s our task to see that they reign.

Are you a peacemaker or a peace taker in your church?

Prayer: Father, prompt us to work for peaceful relationships in our churches. 

Tweetable: Do you have bitter roots that need uprooting?

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

When Roots Turn Bitter - Martin Wiles

Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:15 NLT

The bloom was beautiful, but I knew the petals would soon wilt and die.

Roots are important. My wife loves cut flowers but often reminds me she’d rather I spend money on her for something that lasts. And cut flowers don’t. Placing them in water makes them last a few days, but the end is inevitable. They’ll eventually end up in the trash can. 

The only hope for most flowers is roots which are planted in soil, draw up nutrients, and give the plant stability. Without them, hope vanishes. And the roots must be healthy. Otherwise, the plant will still die.

One unhealthy root is bitterness, and the writer warns early Christians about letting it grow up in their midst. You would assume bitterness wouldn’t be found among Christians. After all, we have much to be thankful for. Forgiveness, salvation, God’s guidance, eternal life, Christian friends. But I’ve been in churches long enough to know believers aren’t immune to bitterness. It’s is a poisonous root with the capability of spreading. When it does, it kills all the reasons we have to rejoice.

Bitter roots grow from such things as trials, unpleasant circumstances, and the sour attitudes of others. Life can be tough, and when things don’t go our way for long enough, we can develop a bitter attitude, an attitude that touches everyone we associate with. Which, by the way, will be fewer people if our attitude continues. No one likes to hang around with bitter people.

Responding to difficult times with anger or bitterness is a choice. Just as no one can make me angry, no one can make me bitter. But it happens if I don’t monitor my attitude and remember my beliefs.

God is in control of every circumstance touching my life. He promises to work good from all things—even the ones that try my soul. I can let the trials make me better rather than bitter. When others see me facing them with optimism, prayer, and trust, they will be drawn to the One who gives me the strength to do so. Facing them in such a way opens up a path to conversations that might lead to others’ salvation.

Most flowers give off a beautiful fragrance. You can too when you respond to life’s circumstances with trust rather than bitterness. 

When life gets bitter, remember who’s in control.

Prayer: Father, help us ward off a bitter spirit that tends to grow when things don’t go our way. 

Tweetable: What roots do you need to get rid of?

Looking for a wide selection of genres in inspirational books at discount prices? Click here to see selections.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's Word.

Rooted - Martin Wiles

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17 NLT

With really no roots at all, Tom sold most of what he had and headed out. 

Tom had a fragile childhood. His father was known as a rowdy type, a sailor with a woman in every port. Naturally, things between his mother and father fell apart since his father wouldn’t stop his running around. Then the day came when his mom met a man from Florida. Before he knew it, they were married and moving to Florida—without him. 

Tom was left to live with his grandmother who lived with her daughter and son-in-law and their two children. His aunt and uncle became his parents, and his two cousins became his brother and sister. 

Tom’s life wasn’t much different than his father’s. None of his marriages lasted very long. Since he couldn’t father children of his own, when the marriage dissolved so did all the roots that went with it. When his last wife died from breast cancer, Tom sold almost everything he had, loaded his horses and belongings in a trailer, and hit the road. He had no roots. 

Sometimes I feel a little like Tom. As a preacher’s kid and then a preacher myself, moving from place to place came with the territory. Family reunions were often missed due to church, so I depended a great deal on my grandmother to keep me updated. Mom and Dad’s sister are the only family matriarchs my family has left. 

Though my earthly roots are somewhat fragmented—and now very shallow—my spiritual roots run deep. Distance, divorce, and death can shatter and fragment genealogical roots, but the root that extends down into God’s love is a deep one. In fact, it is a tap root with no end.

Others may leave us in life for numerous reasons. We ourselves will one day have to leave this earth behind. But if we are rooted in God’s love, we have a large family that is planted across the world. Though our physical families dwindle and fragment, our spiritual families can be found anywhere we go because anywhere we go we can find people who are rooted in God’s love. 

When it appears your family roots are slowly dissipating, remember how large your spiritual family is. Pray for them, and enjoy spending time with them. 

Prayer: Father, we thank You for giving us spiritual family all across this globe.

Looking for a wide selection of genres in Christian books at discount prices? Use coupon MWiles for 20% off. Click here to see selections.  

Thanks to all our faithful followers who are "sharing" our posts--please keep it up! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Help us spread God's encouragement through his love lines.