old.

(Colossians 1:9-10) I’ve decided that trees are amazing. Knowing what we know about gravity, trees should look much different than they do. We’d assume the first tiny sprout of a tree should just crawl along the ground, not end up towering into the sky. So what does a tree tell us about God or about ourselves? •God creates things that defy their natural surroundings. I think we are called to be like trees. We live in a fallen world — there are constant forces around us exerting pressure to bring us down. However, God’s purpose for us is to rise toward Heaven and Christ-likeness despite the world working against us. Just as a tree grows upward in opposition to gravity fulfilling its God-given purpose (thanks geotropism), Christians are to grow upward in opposition to sin. •We grow like trees. I’ve never seen a tree struggle to become what God designed it to be or heard one groaning from its efforts to grow. What does a tree have to do to fulfill its purpose? Simply stay connected to the ground. That’s it. God provides everything it could ever need. If tree decided to become a bird, it would be in trouble — as soon as it leaped from the ground and severed its connection, it’s die. ||The world often tries to convince us we should be something other than a tree. It’ll beckon us to leave our ground and turn into something we’re not. But if we simply stay grounded, we’re guaranteed to become just what God wants us to become. [Sometimes my temptation can be wanting to grow too fast for my structure to bear. However, if I simply abide in Christ and stay grounded in Him, I’ll mature into what He wants me to be, just like a tree. I won’t have to struggle for it in my own power, or try to make myself into something that I am not; I’ll become what I was made to become and follow God’s design for me.]