Built to Last: The Power of Deep Roots and Lasting Fruit

Built to Last: The Power of Deep Roots and Lasting Fruit

There's something profound about the start of a new year. It's a time when we naturally think about growth, change, and becoming better versions of ourselves. But what if the secret to lasting transformation isn't found in surface-level resolutions, but in something much deeper—something that happens beneath the surface, where no one else can see?

The Problem with Information Without Transformation

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information. Need to fix a leaky pipe? YouTube has a tutorial. Want to learn a new skill? There's an online course for that. We can consume endless amounts of knowledge with just a few clicks. Yet despite all this information, many of us feel stuck in the same patterns, facing the same struggles, year after year.
The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. We can attend services, listen to podcasts, read devotionals, and fill our minds with biblical knowledge. But if we're honest, we often find ourselves wondering why we're not experiencing the breakthrough we long for. We know what we should do, but somehow we're not doing it.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: faith without works is dead. We can watch all the "how-to" videos we want, but until we pick up the tools and get to work, nothing changes. Information without application leaves us exactly where we started.

The Secret Ingredient: Time and Consistency

What's the secret to genuine spiritual growth? It's not complicated, but it is challenging. The answer is time—specifically, time spent in constant practice.
The book of Hebrews addresses this directly, speaking to believers who should have matured but were still stuck on spiritual milk instead of solid food. The passage points out that maturity comes to "those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice."
Notice that word: constant. Not occasional. Not when we feel like it. Not just during the good seasons. Constant practice is what develops spiritual muscle and transforms knowledge into wisdom.

Time reveals roots. Anyone can put on a good show for a day, a week, or even a month. But time tells the true story. Time shows whether we're building something that will last or just going through the motions.

Roots Develop Fruits

Think about a tree for a moment. The most important part of a tree isn't what you see above ground—it's the root system hidden beneath the soil. Those roots determine everything: whether the tree will stand in a storm, how much fruit it will produce, and how long it will live.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. Roots represent our character in the private sections of our lives—the parts no one else sees. It's what we run to when life gets difficult. It's how we respond when no one is watching. It's the daily decisions we make in secret.
Whatever roots we're developing will inevitably produce corresponding fruit. Good roots produce good fruit. Shallow roots produce unstable growth. Poisoned roots produce bitter fruit.

The fruits of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 give us a clear picture of what healthy spiritual fruit looks like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When these qualities are evident in our lives, it's a sign that our roots are going down deep in the right soil.

The One Essential: Abiding in Christ

In John 15, Jesus shares one of His final and most important teachings with His disciples. Using the metaphor of a vine and branches, He reveals the secret to a fruitful life. The word He uses repeatedly is abide.

"I am the vine; you are the branches," Jesus says. "If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

This is the key that unlocks everything else. Not a ten-step program. Not a complicated formula. Simply this: abide in Christ.

To abide means to remain, to dwell, to make your home in Him. It's not a one-time decision but a continuous posture of dependence and connection. When we abide in Christ, His life flows through us naturally, producing fruit we could never manufacture on our own.
The passage makes it clear: fruitfulness isn't optional for branches that abide. It's inevitable. When we're properly connected to the source, fruit is the natural result.

The Flow: From Lost to Impact

Spiritual growth follows a natural progression:

• Lost people are found
• Found people belong
• Belonging people discover purpose
• Purpose-filled people make a kingdom impact

Too many believers get stuck at the "found" stage. They've experienced salvation but never move into belonging, never discover their purpose, and consequently never make the impact they were designed to make.

The truth is, what we steward now determines what we step into next. God has entrusted each of us with gifts, resources, time, and opportunities. These aren't ours to hoard—they're ours to manage for His glory. How we handle what we've been given today determines what doors open tomorrow.

Less of Me, More of You

Galatians 2:20 captures the heart of this journey: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

This is the ultimate goal: less of our flesh, more of His Spirit. Less of our agenda, more of His will. Less of our control, more of His power.

The fight between flesh and spirit is real, and it's one we face daily. But here's the good news: we don't fight alone. When we abide in Christ, His strength becomes ours. His victory becomes ours. His life flows through us.

The Challenge: Say Yes

So, what's holding you back? What's the one thing you know you need to do but keep putting off? Maybe it's committing to daily time in Scripture. Maybe it's joining a small group. Maybe it's serving in an area where you're gifted. Maybe it's dealing with a persistent sin that keeps tripping you up.

Whatever it is, the fruit you've been longing for is waiting behind your yes.
This could be the year everything changes—not because of your willpower, but because you finally stop making excuses and start abiding. Not because you have it all figured out, but because you're willing to take the next step in obedience.

You were made for more than just existing. You were made for kingdom impact. But that impact begins with roots—deep, strong, healthy roots that come from abiding in Christ.
Less of you. More of Him. That's where transformation happens. That's where you're built to last.