What’s holding you up?

When we moved into this place about 4 years back, there was a natural arbour from a vine climbing up a Prunus tree and over onto a Lilly Pilly tree. Under this I put a wrought Iron and wooden outdoor garden Bench to sit and read on, on warm summer’s days. (Which I confess I rarely did find time to do.)

In recent times I noticed that not only was the Prunus Tree largely dead, but that it had a terrible lean on it. At first it was the frame of the Bench that was holding it in a reasonably upright fashion, but just recently it moved past the bench frame and was leaning quite sharply and I realised that it was only the vines entangled in it’s dead branches and entwined between the Vines own roots and the branches of the Lilly Pilly that was holding the dead tree up. So I spent the new few minutes cutting the vines away and letting it fall harmlessly onto what used to pass as Lawn before the currant drought. Of course I then spent a couple of hours or more trying to clean up the mess, and still haven’t really finished.

This got me to pondering as to what was holding me up, and was this support Living or dead? I believe I am standing in my faith in Jesus and that I am rooted in God’s word, and although I love and appreciate my family, friends and Church, I don’t need their support to stand upright. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate them or use them in good times and in storms; simply that they are not my sole means of support.

What about you? Is God your strength? Are you well rooted in his Word and His ways?

Or is all your support simply from those around you, whether they are from the Church, Family or friends. Remove that support and you fall over and are no use to anyone, simply to be removed and burned?

Again I am not down playing the strength and support supplied by our connection to the Church. Support and strength we not only need but are enjoined by Scripture to seek out: “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching,”(Hebrews 10:23 – 25 NRSV.)

All I am asking is, where are you getting your support from? From your own roots in God and his word, or has your own roots long died and you are only getting your support by osmosis from those around you and when they fail or fall away, so do you!

Over to you: Walter