Roots

^{by Jon}

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

When we heard from the local believers in Takhro that it was nearly the end of Thailand’s annual rainy season, I decided that it was high time we cleared our backyard.

When we first rented our house here, we saw that there was a large plot of land behind our place. However, it was so crowded with weeds, shrubs and trees that we could barely see the wall at the end of the plot.

Just when I was wondering how I would manage to clear everything myself, the local believers offered to help. So on a hot Saturday afternoon, five of us toiled under the sweltering sun with machetes and sickles clearing the land.

One of the most irritating things when clearing the land were the tree roots. While we could chop down the trunks, we found that even the smallest trees had stubborn roots that gripped tightly to the ground. I also read that even when the tree trunk is chopped down, the roots are still embedded into the soil and shoots will continue to grow out of the tree stump over time.

Those tree roots are truly stubborn. Truly persistent.

Thinking of those roots makes me think about ministry in places where spiritual ground is hard. I remember stories of churches split apart by disagreement or persecution. I recall accounts of vibrant churches that became empty after the dying out of a faithful generation, with the next generation not willing to take up the mantle.

Sometimes ministry seems like a pitiful tree stump of a once majestic tree, just a memory of God’s goodness in an age bygone.

In 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul urges the Corinthian church not to be discouraged and to continue putting their hands to the plow. He assures them that their labor in the Lord is not in vain and will persist despite opposition and tribulation.

This is a valuable reminder for me as we experience the ebb and flow of ministry in Takhro. I am encouraged to look beyond the visible, beautiful foilage of appearances to focus on the invisible, vast roots of faithfulness and perseverance in God.

These roots, gripped tightly on the bedrock of God’s Word, will help the church thrive against the tides of adversity to flourish in God’s time.