Some people have a knack for raising plants—they can tell the difference between succulents and philodendrons and instinctively know how much light a plant needs to thrive. But other people aren’t so lucky. They’ve been known to kill their houseplants just by looking at them!
If you haven’t been blessed with a green thumb, you know how hard it is to keep a plant watered. Every plant needs moisture, but when overwatered, a plant’s leaves become dull, yellow, and eventually die. Even if you reduce the amount you water, some plants never recover. Chances are, those plants suffer from root rot. Overwatering deprives a plant’s roots of oxygen and encourages decay. Over time, the rot will spread, killing the plant’s entire root system.
Thankfully, root rot can be stopped, but the treatment may seem severe. After cutting away the affected area, you have to remove up to half the plant’s leaves for it to conserve enough energy to rebuild its root system. Until the gardener resolves the plant’s root problems, it’s pointless to look for fruit.
In a similar way, many people suffer from relational “root rot.” They find themselves in dysfunctional relationships and wonder why they don’t see fruit like peace, joy, or confidence in their lives. When root rot affects our marriages, professional relationships, friendships, and family lives, it threatens the health of our souls.
To keep watch over your soul, you must keep watch over your relationships.
Too many people settle for dysfunctional relationships—codependency, abuse, unnecessary drama—because they lack the courage and wisdom to address the root problem. Like a gardener who boldly cuts an ailing plant’s leaves, you have the power to free yourself from unhealthy soul attachments. No matter what environment you find yourself in, you can choose to change your relational habits.
Over the next four weeks, we will identify steps you can take to break unhealthy attachments and build a healthy root system for the life of your soul. The first step, however, is keeping a sharp lookout for the issues that threaten to entangle your soul.
Take a moment to consider the key relationships in your life. Do they stimulate your growth, producing abundant fruit over time, or do they leave you waterlogged and deprived? How would you like to see them change?
It’s time to care for your soul—from the roots up!
Praying that God brings new life and growth to your soul,
“They will be like a tree planted by the water that
sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear
when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
- Jeremiah 17:8
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