ROOT IT OUT!

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“We have to deal with things at the root”, he said.

And he (David Morris, our Youth Pastor at AHOP) is right. We do need to deal with “things” at the root.

What things?

Bitterness things.

Anger things.

Animosity things.

Disgruntlement things.

Grudge things.

Frustration things.

I could go on, but you are getting the gist right?

David is right when he encourages us to “deal with life’s challenges” at the root level. Far too often many us try to put “lipstick on a pig” and say it is pretty. But that doesn't work!

Whether it is a weed in the backyard as David’s shared or a deeply set sin in our psyche, these “things” need to dealt with at the root level in order to completely purge them from the scene.

When I counsel with folks I call it “dealing with the WHY rather than the WHATEVER.” Often folks struggling in addiction spend all of their time focused on the “whatever”; the booze, the dope, the porn, etc. But more often than not, those are just symptoms of a greater hurt; the WHY as I call it or the ROOT as David described is really what needs addressed.

That is why it is so important for each of us to ask GOD to examine us each day for those deeply rooted challenges so that He may go about the business of removing them from us. It is often an unpleasant experience, but oh so needed! All we need to do is acknowledge they exist and ask GOD to clear them out!

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

And while the psalmist David gave us some direction, our David offered some good direction as well; a scripture that is one of my staples.

Romans 12:2

... be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Daily we each must be willing to allow GOD to renew our minds, to clean our hearts, and to till those roots. If we don’t, we allow those deep hurts and those deep pains to get stronger, go deeper and cause even more damage and wreak further havoc.

So ask yourself, do you have one of those “things” that has taken root? Has a potential misunderstanding festered into animosity? Do you have some anger toward someone but you can’t remember why? Is there a stronghold sin that you continue to flirt with and entertain? Is there a "why" in your life that leads to a "whatever"? Is there a root that is ruining your spiritual growth?

Identify it. Uncover the source of it. And turn it over to the MASTER GARDENER and let HIM root that “thing” out because HE most certainly will!

Psalms 103:3-4

…may I never forget the good things he does for me.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. (deals with my roots)

He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney