Root Work
Regardless of your beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic or the intense civil unrest, there is one universal truth we can agree upon; the world has hit pause. Yes, things are slowly but surely starting to reopen, however, the pace of the world is vastly different than life prior to COIVD-19. I have had so many clients, friends, and family approach me with their feelings and for guidance regarding this slower pace. Some people are grieving, some are angry, some are depressed, and others are anxious. There are so many emotions swirling and I have no authority to tell you the “correct way” to feel, act, think, or respond during this time. I can however, offer you one perspective, a perspective and path that I have found myself traveling over the past few months.
I was recently listening to a talk by Craig Denison in which he quoted John 10:10 which reads, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” This was a direct quote from Jesus, telling us that He wants us to live an abundant life. Seems easier said than done right? Also, what does “an abundant life” mean anyways? How do we define it? Craig broke it down into two things, living an abundant exterior life, and living an abundant interior life. Let’s take a look at both:
Abundant exterior life: in today’s society, abundance brings to mind many different things; a big house, fancy clothes, nice cars, a perfectly curated Instagram feed, a stockpile of money, exotic vacations, the list goes on. We can (and often do) spend a lot of time fantasizing about the abundant life we so desperately chase.
Abundant interior life: My suspicion, and the suspicion of Craig Dennison is that Jesus was more focused on desiring an abundant interior life for His people. An abundant interior life is all about what’s going on in the inside, behind all the smoke and mirrors of your external life. An abundant life can also be many things but can include; healthy and meaningful relationships, gratitude, a sense of purpose or meaning in one’s life, a feeling of peace, the experience of love, strength, mental well-being, physical well-being, and walking in relationship with God.
The most visible form of abundance is obviously the exterior as others aren’t typically peering into our souls, searching for pieces of an abundant interior life. Why bother when one can simply scroll through your Instagram and read your captions? The great mistake is to believe that having an abundant exterior life means that one also has an abundant interior life, they are not one in the same. I know plenty of people, and I’m sure you do too, who appear to “have it all” on the outside but are simply crumbling within. What if we took this season of pausing, or slowing down, and worked on developing a rich and abundant interior life? What if we imagined ourselves in a cocoon during this time, and emerged even stronger and more vibrant than before? It all sounds great, but how? What are the steps we can take to develop this rich interior abundance that Jesus so desperately desires for us?
As previously mentioned, there are many parts that make up an abundant interior life. Our relationship with Jesus can be the foundation that makes adding all other components able to withstand the trials and tribulations of this life. Psalms 1:1-3 gives us one hint to developing this as it reads, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever they do prospers.” This scripture points to spending time with God as a way to not only cultivate an abundant interior life, but as a way to become like “a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” Now think of a single flower; the flower, the stem, and its roots. The actual flower is the part the world sees, your exterior abundance. When planted, no one ever sees the roots, but the roots of the flower determine that quality of the actual flower and whether the flower even blooms. This season serves as an opportunity to do some root work, to dig deep, get dirty, and re-connect to the things that provides us with strong, healthy roots so that we too can be like a tree planted by streams of water that does not wither.
Our relationship with God and the work we do on cultivating an abundant interior life is what can sustain and further develop the flower, our exterior abundance. A strong relationship with our Father provides all things we seek (everything our roots need, like plant food); comfort, guidance, loving correction when needed (we ain’t always right ya’ll), strength, courage, perseverance, love, and more, the list is literally endless. We often look to outside (exterior) sources to provide these things, money provides a false sense of security and worthiness, Instagram followers and likes provides a false sense of love and admiration, you get the point. When we stop seeking these things and do the deep work of developing our relationship and going deeper with God, these things come freely and are everlasting. How can we spend time with God, what does that look like? There are so many ways to spend time with God, but I’m going to list just a few:
1. Make Him part of your morning routine. Spend the first 15 minutes of your day reading scripture.
2. Listen to worship music. I don’t know about you, but when I listen to certain worship songs, my whole soul vibrates with praise to God.
3. Prayer- spend time in prayer, both talking to the Lord and listening for what He has to say.
4. Listen to a podcast- Confessions of a Crappy Christian, Morning Mindset, For the Girl, and Set Apart Girl are a few ones I love.
5. Read a book- Sister Walk In Truth, Forgotten God: Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, and Bearing God’s Name are a few of my current favs (all of these can be found on Amazon).
In addition to spending time with God we can also grow our abundant interiors with physical health, mental well-being, and healthy and meaningful relationships with others. God also wants all these things for us. Here are some ideas for developing other areas of interior abundance:
1. Improve your nutrition.
2. Engage in physical exercise (this doesn’t need to be extreme, but moving your body is a good thing).
3. Seek a mental health professional (therapist) to sort through past traumas and/or current issues.
4. Assess the health of your current relationships- are there relationships that need some TLC? Any relationships that need a healthy dose of boundaries? What about relationships that need to be abandoned all together? (hint: a therapist is a great person to help you sort through these if this sounds overwhelming)
Truthfully, I could go on about root work forever (hint for future blog posts), probably because I am a therapist, but this is just meant to be a jumping off point. It’s meant to inspire you to roll up your sleeves and do some root work during this time. That root work may be messy, uncomfortable, or unpleasant at times, but it is also filled with hope, healing, growth, and eventually cultivates that rich, abundant interior life that Jesus sacrificed His life for us to have. And, all of the messy work is easier to do with God by your side.