Roots

We were created to be in relationship with our Creator. We were created to know His love. When sin entered the world, however, we become separated from perfect love. The consequences of this separation are devastating.

Before the fall, Adam and Eve felt no shame. Why? They had nothing to hide. They were in perfect relationship with God.

After Adam and Eve sinned they experienced shame: “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7). They felt the need to hide from each other and from God: “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8-9).

Rather than be rooted in the unconditional love of God, Adam and Eve became rooted in shame. From this root of shame came much brokenness.

The dictionary defines shame as the following: “The painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another.” Shame leads to negative feelings within causing men and women to search for positive feelings without. Perfectionism, achievement, people pleasing—even addictions all stem from this deeper heart issue. If a person does not find value within him or herself, he or she will search for value elsewhere.

To be whole we need to be whole within—in our souls. If every external thing we rely on for value were stripped away would we still feel valuable?

If your answer is no allow me to share a deeply beautiful truth: The holy and perfect God of the universe loves you. He deemed you so valuable that He died in your place. He who knew no sin became sin for you, so that in Him you might become the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 61 illuminates the redemptive ministry of Christ. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” The passage continues saying: “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor” (Isaiah 61:3).

The Lord longs to uproot His people from the root of shame and replant them in Himself. He longs to flood our hearts with His unconditional love, and He longs to bear fruit through the broken.

Being uprooted is deeply painful. One by one the Lord will remove every external thing we have relied on for self worth. We will feel more worthless than we have in our entire lives. This is such a beautiful place to be, however, because Christ Jesus remains. The truth is we are not enough but in the Beloved we are more than enough. We are unworthy and unrighteous, but in Christ we are completely worthy and fully righteous.

Being uprooted is painful, but it is oh so sweet. If you feel the Spirit prompting you to be uprooted, I encourage you to take a step of faith and allow the Lord to bring healing and restoration to your life. May Jesus be glorified in our brokenness.