大象传媒

Good morning.听 The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time to plant and a time to root up.听 Planting suggests newness, giving time for growth and an opportunity for things to become established.
Sometimes, it feels very hard to do the rooting up.听 Things, ideas, or ways of being that have been around for a long time, whether beneficial or not, are often difficult to displace, even when we know it鈥檚 necessary.听 They can seem like the mental equivalent of Japanese knotweed.
Conflict within ourselves can also be a powerful force, and we can end up living with stagnation - and a lack of growth. And Jesus taught that the process of spiritual growth often invites disapproval by others. Jesus demonstrated that sometimes we鈥檒l find ourselves welcomed and at other times face outright hostility.听
So, what are the conditions for us to grow into loving people who demonstrate strength and moral courage in the fiercest of times in life?听 They include a healthy a root system that can withstand the pervasive influence of greed, intolerance and the absence of love.
The bible speaks about the conquest of the mind and having roots in the things of God. This is a stable basis for all of life, both head and heart, and all that makes up our humanity.

Lord, help us to develop spiritual root systems that coil and wrap themselves around you.听 Keep us from those things that cause us to stagnate or choke by the temporal cares of this world.听 Keep us focused on the way of truth and light.听 Amen
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