Don’t Drift

Recently, my pastor told a story about having a perfect beach day at the ocean years ago. He and his friends were just floating, talking, laughing, riding the little waves as they rolled in and out. What they weren’t aware of was that they were also drifting sideways, and by the time they realized it, they were the equivalent of about four or five football fields away from their cooler and beach chairs and towels. It was quite a trek back to where they started.

When we don’t pay attention, when we aren’t deeply rooted in our faith, we can drift without being aware of it. Suddenly, we look up and we are far away from where we started. We may have even drifted so far that we’ve forgotten where that starting point was.

We often admire the towering height and wide-reaching branches of a tree, forgetting that its true strength lies beneath the surface. A tree’s root system mirrors its visible form—spreading deep and wide to anchor and nourish. In fact, many trees have root systems that extend as far outward as their branches and sometimes even deeper into the earth than the tree rises above it. Hidden from view, these roots seek water, draw in nutrients, and cling to the soil through storms and seasons. It’s a beautiful reminder that growth and resilience are never just about what can be seen. True stability begins in the unseen places. Just like us, a tree thrives when it’s grounded in something deeper.

For Christians, that means we must be deeply rooted in Christ. That’s how we thrive. That’s how we keep from drifting.

Colossians 2:6-8 says: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

The only way I know to ground our roots deep in Christ is through the nourishment found in reading/hearing God’s word and the refreshment found through His Holy Spirit. It’s also how we protect ourselves from being taken captive by the philosophy and deceptions and elementary principles of the world we live in. All those little things and thoughts and ideas that cause us to drift without even noticing it’s happened.

This year I’ve done my odd-year read-through of the Bible using the Bible Recap reading plan and book. While I am using the audio and Kindle versions of the book, the plan and readings are available for free using the Bible app (YouVersion). I’m also just wrapping up a women’s Bible study at church and am currently deciding what I am going to study on my own until the next women’s study begins.

I’ve been a Christian for nearly 50 years, and studying His word never ever gets old. It is alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. And it keeps me rooted and protects me from drift.

What study have you done lately that has kept you rooted in Jesus?

~robin