The Difference Connection Makes
Unless we plug our blow dryer into the socket, it flat won’t work, Right? It must be connected for the electricity to flow.
I have a visual picture of what a tree connected to its roots looks like compared to what one looks like that is separated from its roots.
You can see a redbud in bloom on the left side of this photo. If you look close to the other side, you see a broken trunk sticking up in front of the house behind us. In front of that, you can see a dried up, dead tree. What a contrast.
As we’ve been social distancing, this redbud has been a splash of color and beauty. As I’ve looked at it each day it has been warm enough to sit outside, it has brought me joy, as though God placed that one wild tree right there just for me. But as I gazed at it, I also noticed the dead tree.
The thing is, both of these trees faced the same storms. One stood, and one fell. I actually heard the dead tree fall one morning after a storm as I was sitting on our deck last year.
So what? Why am I sharing this with you? Because we are all in the middle of a “storm”. Some of us are in much more dire circumstances in this pandemic than others, but we are all weathering this same storm. Some of us are rooted deeply in Christ and in our faith, others have roots not so deep and strong.
This can make the difference in the outcome of our coronavirus experience. Holding onto Christ and the Truth of the Word, we can stand tall and actually flourish with visible “blooms”. We can continue to grow strong deep roots as we spend time with Him. If we do not hold on to what we know of Him, we can end up like the tree on the right…disconnected from the root, weak, falling down, looking dead.
This time in history offers us a choice of outcomes. If we trust Him during this time, we will flourish, and we will be willing to encourage others. If we are “dead”, we have nothing to give. This is a time to live out the faith we have as followers of Christ.
Here are some Truths we can stand on:
- God is sovereign, Colossians 1:16–17, “For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.
- God cares, Matthew 10:29–31, “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
- God is faithful, 2 Timothy 2:13, “…if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.”
- God will bring good, Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
- God will conform us to Christ’s image, Romans 8:29-30, “For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.”
For those who are new to your faith, or just starting that deeper journey, ask God to use this to grow you up. Get in His Word, spend time with Him, pray individually and with others. Another way connection makes a difference is within the body of Christ. Stay connect digitally to be encouraged, and to encourage others.
Read more about the connection between the vine and the branches in John 15: 1-17.
Draw from His strength when you are tired of isolation and concern for contracting Coronavirus. He will not fail you. He will cause you to thrive through this crisis and tell about His glory through it.
Banner photo by israel palacio on Unsplash
