As a young teenager, I spent my weekends working at our 17-acre orange grove with my dad. My main job was to water each of the trees with a tank truck (imagine the thrill of driving a truck as a thirteen-year-old!). It took two full days!
Describing my work to a paper route customer, it was suggested that in the future we plant our trees in large, solid containers that would hold in the moisture and thereby cut back on the need to water so much. I passed on this “brilliant” insight to my dad who promptly responded with, “That’s ridiculous! If you trap the water the roots will eventually rot. The water has to leach on through.”
Similar to trees planted in solid containers, we as Christians can have spiritual root rot! Think about it: What’s happening with all the spiritual nutrition God gives? Does it flow through us or is it trapped inside, rotting away?
God designed us to be sieved, His blessings flowing through us into the lives of others. This happens only when our primary focus is knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known. When we lose sight of this objective we first become root-bound then root rotten. Evidence of rot? Spiritual apathy (particularly toward spiritually lost people) and loss of joy.