Maturity Equals Trust Romans 8:28-39: “We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” (v28)
22nd June 2025 | | sermon source |
Today we consider the question: Why is it that some Christians put their roots down deep and others do not? After much thought about this matter, I believe it has to do with trust. Jeremiah, I think, would answer the question in this way: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh’ as seen in Jeremiah 17:5.
It is far easier to put our confidence in the things we can see or quantify than in those we cannot see. It’s all too easy to drift into believing that our security and significance depend on things that are tangible, such as money and possessions, academic qualifications, business success, personal skills, or physical attractiveness. However, please do not misunderstand me, these things are not wrong in themselves, but they cannot provide us with the security and significance that deep down our hearts we long for.
So it all comes back to this matter of what we depend upon. ‘Maturity’, someone said, ‘is shown by where we place our dependency.’ How true. When things don’t go as we expected in our lives, we can respond either negatively or redemptively ("Redemptively" means in a way that brings about redemption, deliverance, or salvation, often from sin or evil. It implies an act or quality that saves or redeems someone, making things better or leading to a positive outcome, especially in a spiritual or moral sense.) Responding by complaining, showing resentment, and an unwillingness to forgive prevents our roots going down deeper into God: instead they remain close to the surface. When, however, we trust God and believe that all things are working according to His eternal purposes and plans, our roots in God start growing deeper and deeper when we rely implicitly in Him. Sadly, many Christians never gain trust. Those who grumble and complain when things do not go the way they wish lose a God-given opportunity to develop their spiritual rooting system. Under such situation of unbelief with grumbles and complains their roots are restricted rather than extended.