Do you like fresh cut flowers? I love having them in the house. They offer a cheerful welcome to a room; however, they don’t seem to last very long. If you get fresh cut flowers to last longer than a week, you’re impressive.
This past Friday I was given a dozen long stem red roses in a vase from my FCA leaders and a bouquet of mixed flowers from the FCA staff. I brought them home and they have been gorgeous in my kitchen. I have really enjoyed them. Each time I walk into the kitchen, they’ve brought a smile to my face as I remember the precious people who gave them to me to honor me. Today, however, the mixed flowers are looking a little sad. They are beginning to droop over and lose their cheerfulness. They are beginning to die. They no longer are connected to their source of nourishment and it is just a matter of time before they dry up, turn ugly and die.
Spiritually speaking, we are like these flowers when we do not stay connected to the Lord on a daily basis. We have no source of nourishment and we eventually dry up spiritually, turn ugly and die. Jesus knew we were created to walk with Him daily. He reminded us of this need when He taught the disciples to pray. He taught them to pray “Give us this day our daily bread” and He wasn’t just speaking of physical food [Matthew 6:11, Luke 11:3]. He knew we needed to be nourished spiritually on a daily basis. He is our source of strength [Isaiah 28:6]. Just as a flower must remain connected to its food source to grow and flourish, we must remain connected with the Lord.
Once a flower is cut from the plant, it cannot be reconnected. It is destined to death. If we are disconnected to the Lord, we are also on a path that leads to death; however, we are blessed because we can reconnect with the Lord before death comes and be nourished. If we allow ourselves to reach this point, we will have to work hard to reach a state of thriving again, but it is possible.
Paul sums up what we, as believers, need to do to stay healthy in Colossians 2:6-8 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.The secret to thriving in your life is staying connected to Christ so you will be nourished daily and bring light, joy, and life to the world. Are you connected? If not, it’s not too late to reconnect to Him today.