Being “rooted and grounded in love” is a powerful concept presented in Ephesians 3:17. To fully understand what it means to be rooted and grounded in God’s love, we must first examine the context of this verse.
Ephesians 3:14-21 is a prayer of Paul for the Ephesian believers. In verse 17 specifically, Paul prays that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Let’s break this down:
- Paul first prays that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith. This happens when we put our trust in Christ and invite Him into our lives. His Spirit comes to live within us.
- As Christ dwells in our hearts, we become “rooted and grounded” in God’s love. The words “rooted” and “grounded” imply being firmly established, stable, and secure in experiencing God’s love. Like a tree with deep roots, we are anchored in the rich soil of His love.
- Being rooted in God’s love gives us strength and power. The praying and living that flows out of experiencing God’s love releases spiritual strength in our lives.
- This then enables us to better comprehend and grasp the vast dimensions of Christ’s love – the “breadth and length and height and depth.” His perfect love surpasses human knowledge.
- As we remain rooted and grounded in God’s love, we can be “filled with all the fullness of God.” We are completed and overflowing with His full presence.
The key thing to see is that being rooted and grounded in God’s love is the foundation for living the Christian life. It’s the essential starting point. As believers, our identity rests in being loved by God. We live loved.
God’s love for us is:
- Unchanging – “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3)
- Complete – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (John 15:9)
- Undeserved – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
- All-consuming – “For I am sure that neither death nor life…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
Only when we are rooted in the certainty of God’s unconditional, lavish love for us can we then grow upward and bear fruit in our lives. A tree with deep roots can weather life’s storms. When we abide in the fertile soil of God’s love, we gain strength to follow Christ wholeheartedly.
What does it look like practically to be rooted and grounded in God’s love?
Here are some key ways we sink our roots deeply into God’s love:
- Renew your mind with scripture about God’s love – Meditating on bible verses about God’s love renews our thinking and reassures our hearts of His love for us. Some key verses: Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 103:11, Isaiah 54:10, Zephaniah 3:17, 1 John 3:1.
- Receive God’s love through prayer – Come to God regularly with an open heart and allow Him to pour His love into you. Talk to Him as your loving Father. Let His love envelop you and drive out fear.
- Remember times God demonstrated His love – Reflecting on ways God has proven His love for you in the past strengthens faith for the present. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
- Obey God’s commands – Jesus said “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:10-11) Obedience positions us to be filled with God’s love.
- Express love and worship to God – As we genuinely love and adore God, we receive His love in ever-increasing measure in return. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
- Walk in fellowship with other believers – The body of Christ is designed to reveal God’s love to us. Be rooted together in community, serving and encouraging one another.
- Extend God’s love to others – Reaching out to the lost and hurting with compassion reflects Christ’s love through us. It keeps us rooted in giving and receiving love.
- Trust God during difficulties – Hardships are painful but God uses them to deepen our roots in His faithful love. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3)
What are the benefits of being rooted and grounded in God’s love?
Some of the incredible benefits include:
- Security and confidence – Being firmly rooted in God’s love anchors our identity and casts out fear. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
- Power to obey God – Rootedness in divine love strengthens us to follow Christ. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3)
- Hope and perseverance – The assurance of God’s constant love gives us hope to press on. “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)
- Freedom from sin – Dwelling in God’s love transforms us from within and loosens sin’s grip. “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)
- Stable relationships – Being rooted in love improves all human relationships. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
- Joy and satisfaction – The love of God fills our lives with indestructible joy. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)
- Discerning God’s will – When established in God’s love, we can accurately discern His guidance. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
- Strength for ministry – Rootedness in love equips us for every good work. “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1)
- Unity with other believers – Shared understanding of Christ’s love unites the church. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
What are the consequences of not being rooted and grounded in God’s love?
Tragically, it’s possible to live as a believer without being firmly rooted in the rich soil of God’s love. The results of remaining uprooted from His love include:
- Withered fruitfulness – Apart from abiding in Christ’s love, we can do nothing of eternal value. “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:6)
- Damaged relationships – Not being grounded in love leads to broken community. “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.” (1 John 4:20)
- Misplaced identity – Uprooted from God’s love, our worth and purpose are founded on shaky ground. “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains.” (Jeremiah 50:6)
- Debilitating fears – Without knowing we are perfectly loved, all kinds of irrational fears take root. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
- Moral compromise – Not being anchored in God’s affection leaves us open to sin’s deception. “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” (Ephesians 2:3)
- Spiritual dryness – The sap of God’s love nourishes our spirits. Without it we shrivel. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)
- Emotional turmoil – Our souls find rest in God’s love. Without it we are anxious and insecure. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
- Ministry in the flesh – Ministry done apart from abiding in Christ’s love is wood, hay and straw. It lacks eternal reward. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)
How can someone begin to sink their roots deeply into God’s love if they feel uprooted currently?
Here are some helpful steps to take:
- Confess and repent of any sin that is creating distance in your relationship with God. Ask Him to give you “a clean heart” and “renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
- Press into times of prayer and solitude with God, calmly resting in His presence. Let Him speak love over you and fill you with living water.
- Soak in scriptures about God’s unconditional love. Write down and memorize verses that resonate deeply. Let these truths renew your mind.
- Ask God to bring you loving Christian community where you can experience fellowship rooted in grace.
- Make expressions of love through service an aim in your life. As you share God’s love with others, your roots will deepen.
- Deal with any unforgiveness in your heart through the healing power of Christ. Bitterness uproots us but forgiveness sets us free.
- Identify any lies you are believing about yourself, God, or others. Take them captive and make them obedient to the truth of Christ.
- Press through difficult circumstances in dependent prayer, trusting God’s faithfulness and His promise to work all things for the good of those who love Him.
The key is starting each day by receiving God’s lavish love for you. Begin with love. Abide in love. Return continually to your true root system – the unconditional affection of your heavenly Father.
Conclusion
Being firmly rooted and grounded in God’s phenomenal love is a precious gift and invitation from Scripture. When our roots go down deep into His affection through faith and obedience, we gain strength to flourish and live fully. Drink deeply of His love. Set down fixed roots. Build your life on the powerful foundation of His unchanging love for you in Christ.